Picture Block Puzzle

Have you seen these cute block puzzles by Melissa & Doug? My kids love them. How fun would it be to have a puzzle to play with that has their own picture on it? Easy and cheap too.

This puzzle cost $12.99 on Amazon.com while the kit for the picture puzzle costs just $11.50 at PinSupplies.com for 6 wood blocks and an 8 oz container of Mod Podge that will be used on a lot more crafts. Or you can purchase just the blocks for $7.50.  You will need your own 4 x 6 pictures. If you wanted a larger puzzle you could use an 8 x 10" picture and order 20 blocks for $25. This may seem like a lot but it would be a pretty neat puzzle for an older child or as a coffee table gift for an adult.

On to the tutorial:

Collect 6 of your favorite 4x6" pictures. I used color but black & white or sepia would make for a neat antique looking puzzle.

And 6- 2" wood blocks (here).

Carefully trace the block on the back of the pictures. I found the pictures from Shutterfly were slightly too small but still work. The pictures printed at Walmart are the perfect size.

Cut out along the lines with scissors, exacto knife or slicing board.

Apply Mod Podge to each block and apply picture. Make sure you do not put the same picture on any of the same pieces (or you can't finish the puzzle). Seems silly to say this but if you cut all your pictures at once and mix them up it could get confusing, so I suggest one picture at a time.

See the fancy pink mat underneath? This silicone mat is perfect for gluing projects on (especially for the messy crafter like me). The glue rubs off, plus it is floppy and easy to store. You can find it here. 

After the pictures are on and dried, lightly sand the edges to give it a nice finished flat look. At this point you can also add some distressed ink around the edges. This would look nice with black & white and sepia pictures.

After the glue has dried you need to add a couple layers of Mod Podge on top to make it more durable for kids to play with. Add thin layers at a time and let the glue dry between each layer.

Continue adding each picture until the puzzle is complete. This may take some time to complete because of the drying process, but it is pretty simple and hard to mess up.

HOMEMADE PUZZLES ARE NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN UNDER 2 THAT STILL PUT TOYS IN THEIR MOUTHS. I CAN NOT GUARANTEE THAT DRIED MOD PODGE IS SAFE TO EAT SO PLEASE JUST USE WITH OLDER CHILDREN.

You can also buy and download these cute people and make interchangeable block dolls.