Using Puzzles Instead of Posters

Putting together puzzles is a great recreational activity that also brings people together. When I was a kid, we often brought puzzles along with us on family vacations. We also spent many weekends putting together our favorite Disney puzzles, including the Little Mermaid and Aladdin themed puzzles.

The one downside, however, was that after we finished each puzzle, we had to take it apart again. There was no room to store the puzzles, since we needed the table space for some other activity, so it was always a somewhat painful process pulling apart the perfectly matched pieces after spending hours putting it all together. For this reason, we often did the same puzzles many times. Within about a year, I think we had memorized exactly how to put together our Little Mermaid and Aladdin puzzles.

My love of puzzles has not diminished as I have gotten older. In fact, it's now quite the opposite. Now that I have my own apartment, I can decide how long to leave my puzzles out. I have also discovered puzzle glue. I do not know how long puzzle glue has been around, but I absolutely love it. Now, any puzzle I complete, I can glue it together and hang it on my wall as art. Recently my boyfriend and I finished a glow-in-the-dark puzzle of New York Times Square, which I plan on hanging on my wall next to my "Know Your Road Signs" poster.

Last year, I put together a puzzle of the famous Abby Road picture. I visited Liverpoool with my family and we went to the Beatles Museum. I really like the Abby Road photo, but I wanted a more unique way of displaying it in my apartment than a regular poster. So, my housemates and I spent a week working on the puzzle, and when we were done, I glued it together. The glue only cost about $3, and they sell it in abundance at craft stores. It took about 10-20 minutes to dry, and when it was dry, I taped it to some poster board. This way, I could tack it to the wall easily, and when we moved, I could easily cover up the tack holes in the wall. I did not want to put holes in the puzzle, and by taping it to poster board, I have the option of finding a real frame for my puzzle one day and properly hanging it on a wall in a house I own.

When and if that day comes, I may consider decorating an entire room in the house with puzzles. I think it would be interesting, at least. My boyfriend and I are about to order six more puzzles online, so who knows? It could happen.