Holiday Shopping Guide for the Jigsaw Puzzler on Your List

Is there someone in your life who absolutely adores puzzles? If so, you’ll want to get them a puzzle for the holiday season. However, you may not be sure what kind of puzzle to buy. There are so many options! How do you choose the perfect puzzle for a passionate puzzler?

If you're puzzled over this conundrum, don't fear because we're here to help. In this holiday shopping guide for the jigsaw puzzler on your list, you find information that’ll help you get a gift that will make your giftee go, "Wow!"

Why Puzzles Are Great Holiday Gifts

Are you worried that a puzzle might not make a good holiday gift? Don't be. Giving a puzzle is a fantastic way to spread holiday cheer.

The holiday season tends to be cold. Some people enjoy the nippy weather, but most prefer to stay inside where it’s warm. As such, they need hobbies they can partake in from the comfort of their homes. And there's nothing more relaxing than doing a puzzle on a snowy evening while cuddling under a blanket with a mug of hot cocoa on hand!

How To Pick the Perfect Puzzle

Are you wondering how to choose the perfect puzzle? Our holiday shopping guide for the jigsaw puzzler on your list can help. Keep the factors below in mind when you're shopping, and you'll be sure to find a puzzle that pleases.

Their Age

The age of the puzzler you're shopping for is a huge factor to consider. Adults and kids tend to have very different skill levels and interests.

For kids, stick to puzzles with lower piece counts. We recommend 100 pieces or less unless the puzzler in question has demonstrated they have the patience and skill level required to complete higher-difficulty puzzles.

We also recommend choosing puzzles with colorful, fun, and simple designs. Look for puzzles that are educational or match the puzzler's interests. An aspiring astronaut will have a blast assembling a space-themed puzzle, while an animal lover would love a puzzle covered in cute critters!

Choosing a puzzle for an adult is a bit trickier. The ideal number of pieces depends on their skill level. For beginners, 300 to 500 pieces is a good start. But experienced puzzlers may want to challenge themselves with 1000- and 2000-piece behemoths.

When it comes to picking a design, keep the puzzler's preferences in mind. What kind of colors do they like? What kind of places do they enjoy? What are their other hobbies and interests? These questions will help you pick a puzzle they'll love.

The Difficulty

You don't want to get someone an impossibly hard puzzle, but you don't want to get one that's so easy it bores them, either. How do you choose the correct difficulty level?

Generally speaking, the more pieces a puzzle has, the harder it is to complete. The puzzle's design can also impact its difficulty level. Milk puzzles and gradient puzzles are harder to piece together than scenery puzzles, for example. This is because the individual pieces of these kinds of puzzles are barely distinguishable from one another. This forces the puzzler to pay close attention to the shapes of the pieces.

For puzzle beginners, choose puzzles with lower piece counts and simple, colorful designs. For puzzle experts who want something a tad trickier, you should select puzzles with higher piece counts and busy, complex, and monochromatic designs.

The Casual Puzzler vs. the Collector

Does your puzzler do puzzles casually? Or is the person a puzzle enthusiast and collector? Shopping for casual puzzlers isn't too challenging, but shopping for puzzle collectors is pick-and-shovel!

A collector may only want puzzles from a specific artist, brand, or collection. And since puzzle collectors have lots of puzzles, you could accidentally buy them something they already own if you're not careful. When in doubt, you can ask the puzzler what kind of puzzles they collect and what they already have.

The Design

A puzzle's design isn't the only thing that matters, but interesting designs do make puzzles much more fun. Jigsaw puzzles come in a wide variety of designs, so there's guaranteed to be something for everyone.

If you want something extra special, you can even buy custom puzzles that feature a picture of your choosing! Get new parents a puzzle featuring their bouncing bundle of joy or a pet owner a portrait of their pooches.

The Quality

The last thing you want is to gift someone a puzzle that's grainy and falling apart! A good puzzle should be made of thick cardboard that doesn't rip easily. It should also have piece faces that don't peel off and have clear images printed on them. Avoid sellers that feel sketchy and buy from trusted brands and retailers instead. You can check a seller’s reviews to see if they're trustworthy.

Add-On Gifts

If you really want to make a puzzler's day, consider including one or more of these add-ons with your puzzle gift!

Puzzle Frame

Some puzzlers love to display their finished puzzles. A puzzle frame allows them to preserve and display their hard work. Most puzzles will have their size (in inches) printed somewhere on the box. Use these measurements to choose an adequately sized frame.

Puzzle Board

Does the puzzler in your life wish they could do puzzles on the couch or in bed? Or maybe they don't have a dedicated surface to do puzzles on and could really use one. With a puzzle board, they can do puzzles pretty much anywhere!

As the name suggests, puzzle boards are portable boards for doing puzzles! Some puzzle boards even come with built-in storage so that puzzlers can safely store their loose pieces.

Sorting Trays

Maybe your puzzler already has a dedicated puzzle surface or a puzzle board. But based on the puzzle pieces scattered around their home all willy nilly, you can deduce that they don't have storage for their loose pieces. Storage trays provide secure places to put away puzzle pieces or organize them by color, pattern, or shape to make assembling puzzles easier.

Are you looking for a gift for the jigsaw puzzler on your list? MasterPieces carries quality puzzles from renowned brands. Our 2000-piece jigsaw puzzles make incredible gifts for experienced puzzlers! We also have easier puzzles for kids and beginners. Shop with us today for puzzles of various designs, difficulties, and sizes!