Author: Jean-Philippe Théberge

Wondering what 3D jigsaw puzzles are all about? What is the difference between a jigsaw puzzle and a 3D puzzle? Unsure whether you have what it takes to rise up to the challenge? Let’s answer these questions, and then some, in order to be ready for your next Hobby 101 test.

What is a Wrebbit3D puzzle?

Hmm… Let’s see. A straightforward dictionary answer would be something like: “A 3D jigsaw puzzle is a collection of foam jigsaw puzzle pieces assembled in sections of various sizes and shapes that represent a building, vehicle or structure from the real world or a fictional universe.” That doesn’t sound too bad actually. But let’s try to delve a little deeper and look at this definition…piece by piece.

Material

Made out of dense foam and high quality paper, our 3D jigsaw puzzle pieces are easy to handle. They snap together effortlessly to bring your project to life.

Not numbered

Staying true to regular 2D jigsaw puzzles originally made, our pieces are not numbered in order to provide the best possible balance of challenge and rewarding experience. Pieces are assembled together by using the reference images on the box and the black and white instructions booklet. Other online resources (images, colour instructions, videos, etc.) are available as well.

Shapes

You’ll find the classic ones you’re familiar with, like the ones with tabs and slots and others with straight edges. But you’ll find new kinds of puzzle pieces with tenons and mortises (square projections and holes) on their perimeter, and others with mortises in the middle of them. They are crucial to 3D jigsaw puzzles and what allows upright structures to hold together without any glue.

Red dots

Some puzzle pieces have been identified with one or several red dots. These are essential to the manufacturing of your 3D jigsaw puzzle, but are not part of your puzzle project. We strongly advise you to put them aside while sorting your puzzle pieces at the beginning of your project and keep them until your puzzle is completed. Why? Well, sometimes during the sorting process, even the keenest eye may miss a good piece that ends up among the red-dotted ones.

How to Assemble?

The “How To” of a 3D jigsaw puzzle can be broken down into three major steps: Sort, Assemble, Go 3D. Two of these steps are actually the same ones you execute while assembling a regular jigsaw puzzle. Let’s look into them.

Step 1: Sort.

Get the puzzle pieces out of the box and sort them in as many groups as you can. Multiplying the categories and subcategories of shapes, colour, design, shades, illustrations, etc. will go a long way. We mean it. The more you sort, the easier it will be to find the piece you are looking for. (Check out our article on sorting your pieces to learn a few useful tips and tricks.)

Like we mentioned earlier, the red-dotted pieces are put in a separate category to be kept until the end of the project. Stay focused while you sort these specific pieces: static and friction can make red-dotted pieces stick to good pieces. Mortises in the middle of pieces might have a red dot that needs to be punched out.

Step 2: Assemble.

This one is pretty straightforward: Look at the illustrations on the box and go for it!. Not that bad so far, right? Good!

While working your way through this step, you’ll notice the first difference between a jigsaw puzzle and a 3D puzzle. Instead of one single flat regular puzzle taking shape, you will create multiple flat sections, like numerous mini 2D jigsaw puzzles. A completed section will have edges that are either straight, curved or with tenons and mortises (the new shape you’ve seen earlier in this article). Put them aside until you have used all the pieces. In addition to the illustrations on the front and back of the box, you can look at the black and white instructions provided where you’ll find outlines of the sections to help you out, as well as our coloured instructions and our 360^o videos.

Step 3: Go 3D.

Okay, now things are getting even more interesting! Let’s be honest: you are itching to build in 3D, and seeing all those completed sections piled up with no purpose yet is unnerving. Your patience is about to be rewarded. Time to make the transition from 2D jigsaw puzzle and go 3D.

The flat sections you have completed earlier are now your primary building materials. Follow the instructions booklet step by step and work your way to a completed 3D jigsaw puzzle. Move and place your project to be comfortable: place it on its side, put your hand inside to provide support while applying pressure, turn it around to get a new perspective. Whatever works for you.

So, there you have it. A broad view of what 3D jigsaw puzzles are all about. Has this article given you the puzzle bug? Have you realized that you have what it takes and you would like to try your hand at one? Head over here for an overall look at our current 3D jigsaw puzzles.

Enjoy!

Building a 3D jigsaw puzzle is pretty straightforward: take all puzzle pieces out of a box and with the help of the reference images provided on the box, assemble them into several distinct sections. Once they are all completed, follow the instructions and join them together in 3D.

Today, we’ll take a closer look at the basics to make sure you get off on the right foot: sorting your puzzle pieces.

It’s probably the least favourite step in the process, the one some may refer to as the ‘let’s-get-on-with-it-so-I-can-assemble-my-puzzle-like-now-now’ step. While we understand the excitement of starting a new project and the anticipation of building something beautiful and impressive, the sorting phase is an important one. Cutting corners here might seem like the quicker option, but ultimately, it may slow you down and cause unwanted effects on you and other participants like frustration, headaches and even words intended for a mature audience only. But taking the time to properly sort your puzzle pieces at the beginning of your project can have a big impact on your assembling speed and overall experience. Being methodical goes a long way!

Sorting boils down to putting your puzzle pieces in different categories. In other words, the more categories you have, the easier it gets to make your way through your workspace and find THE puzzle piece you’re looking for. So, let’s look at a few different aspects of a puzzle piece that can help you categorize them.

1- Colours

It’s pretty self-explanatory and simple. Create one category for every colour found on your puzzle. Gray? Over here. Red? That’s with the others. Green? In a small pile over there. Some 3D puzzles, due to their specific design, might have similar colours and hues. Separate them as best as you can in distinctive categories as well. Brown, brown-ish, browner, light brown works fine. Or wake up the paint colour enthusiast sleeping within you, go crazy and have some fun! Roasted chestnut, amber, midnight brown, burnt wood… You get the drift! As long as you and your puzzle buddies understand each other, it’s all good.

2- Illustration

Look at your puzzle pieces and find particular elements to help you sort them. Some can be easily recognizable like windows, leaves, bricks, flowers. But others might be more abstract, like straight lines, fuzzy pebbles, swirly thingies, preventing you from discerning their exact position on your 3D puzzle. Stay calm and sort them as well with similar ones. They’ll reveal their true purpose later on.

3- Shape

With a regular jigsaw puzzle, the pieces with a straight edge form a single outline, the proper border of your puzzle. Since a 3D jigsaw puzzle is made of multiple small sections assembled together, these sections will be composed of pieces with straight edges, tenon or mortises (a.k.a the regular square shapes and gaps). Pieces with only loops and sockets or keys and locks will form the inside of some sections.

4- Subcategory

Examine your current categories and see if they can be broken down into smaller connecting groups. Some windows have yellow curtains and others blue? Sort them. Some cobblestones are clean while others are mossy? Sort them. The bricks are either plain or with a gutter or gray foundation? Sort, sort, sort.

5- Details

Pay attention to the details on the illustration. They can reveal surprising hints and welcomed clues that will help you sort your pieces and assemble them. For example, the Empire State Building is mainly made out of windows. While a realistic depiction of the famous New York skyscraper, it can be daunting even for an experienced puzzler. So, we added two different hues (sky blue and sunset pink) in the windows to help you to… that’s right… sort them.

6- Orientation (extra tip)

This is more of an advice than an absolute must, but try to be mindful of the orientation of your puzzle pieces in your workspace. For example, window pieces should show curtains going downwards, not upwards. The brick wall pieces with a vine creeping up should all have their tenons and mortises on the same side. This will make it easier for you to associate details and, in the end, pieces together.

7- What about the red dotted pieces? (more information)

Although the red dotted pieces aren’t part of your final puzzle, they still play an essential role in the manufacturing process. They are what makes it possible to have a 3D puzzle, holding the pieces together just like wooden forms would during pouring concrete. During the sorting process, organize the red dotted pieces into their own category, keeping a sharp eye out: some good pieces might have a removable red dotted part that is sticking to it! Keep them aside until the end of your build so you can double-check in the case you’d be missing a puzzle piece. Don’t worry; sorting mistakes can happen, even for the best of us!

You now have a range of tips and tricks to help you out. No need to follow them all at once. The idea is to try to remember a few and slowly but steadily integrate them into your workflow. Remember… practice makes perfect. The more you sort, the quicker and smoother the whole process will become, almost second nature and you’ll be assembling in no time.

Happy puzzling!