Valentine's Day Puzzles

Valentine's Day Puzzle

"I go to pieces without you!"

Instead of sending a regular
card on Valentine's Day,
surprise your friends and
family with a special puzzle
that you made yourself!



What You Will Need:

• Blank Puzzle or White Cardstock
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Markers or Colored Pencils
• Envelope, Blank Craft Box, or small Gift Box

What You Do:

• Use a blank puzzle or a sheet of cardstock to create your puzzle design. Use a pencil to draw pictures that illustrate the reasons you love someone.
• Include phrases - such as "I Love You" or "Be Mine, Valentine" - poems, or words that describe your love.
• Make sure to make your drawing cover the entire puzzle or page.
• When your drawing is complete, add color with markers or colored pencils (or both).
• If you are using a blank puzzle, take the pieces apart and place them in an envelope or gift box. If you are using a sheet of cardstock, cut the cardstock into pieces using any shapes that are easy for you to cut.
• Decorate the envelope or gift box to match the theme of your puzzle.
• Add a tag to your gift box that says something like "I go to pieces without you!" Be creative!

Variations:

• Use watercolor paints to add color to your puzzle.
• Kids will enjoy creating puzzles for their friends and family. This unique puzzle makes a special gift for Grandparents, too!
• Create puzzles for your own kids! Place your completed puzzle gift outside your child's bedroom to be discovered on Valentine's Day morning. What a fun surprise to wake up to!
• Recycle old puzzles for this project! Assemble an old puzzle that you no longer want, then turn it over carefully. The backside of the puzzle can be used to create your new puzzle. Lightly sand the backside of the puzzle pieces to ensure the paint adheres well, then use a white acrylic paint to paint the entire backside of your puzzle. After the paint has dried, this white surface provides a bright drawing surface for your designs. Of course, if you prefer, you can draw directly on the back of the puzzle pieces without painting them first. We have also found that painting over the picture of an old puzzle works well. Just lightly sand the picture side of the puzzle, then apply a product called KILZ primer. This primer paint will completely cover the old picture in one coat, and provides a fresh start for your new puzzle. Please note: After painting the pieces of the assembled puzzle, you may need to use an Xacto knife to cut through the paint in order to take the puzzle pieces apart. The other option is to paint each individual puzzle piece separately with the white paint.
• Create puzzles to be used as Valentine's Day place settings! Before your party or special dinner, create a puzzle for each one of your guests. On the day of your party, take apart each puzzle and place the pieces in a special glass - such as a wine glass - or small bowl at each place setting. When your guests come to the table, and while they are waiting for their food, they can set their own special puzzle! When the party is over, send the puzzles home with your guests.