If you want to preserve your beautifully put-together puzzle or one your child has done on its own or with you, you can do so without using a backer board.
To glue up a puzzle without a backer board, you will need the following items:
- Oven paper
- Puzzle glue (or basic decoupage glue)
- Plastic tool, sponge, or brush to evenly spread the glue
We were surprised at the number of individuals who asked our team how to glue up a puzzle without a backer board.
Since it became obvious that not many knew that you could even do this in the first place, we decided to answer this for you in this guide.
How To Glue Up A Puzzle Without A Backer Board: The Steps
Now that you have prepared all the items you need, here are the exact steps you need to follow to glue up a puzzle without a backer board:
- Place oven paper on the surface where you will be doing this project
- Make sure that the surface of the cover paper is bigger than the surface of the puzzle; this way, protect the surface of your working area from glue spills – if your oven paper is smaller in size, use it in pieces, make sure they overlap in the middle and aren’t just sitting next to each other.
- Place the puzzle over the oven paper with the front facing up; make sure every piece is in place and is flat.
- Use a puzzle glue (if you cannot find a special puzzle glue, use a basic decoupage glue)
- Apply the glue in sections – this will help spread it more easily and effectively.
- Use a plastic tool or a brush (or even a clean piece of cardboard) to spread the glue evenly over the surface of the puzzle before the glue begins to dry.
- Once you have added this first layer of glue, covering the entire puzzle, add more glue and repeat the same steps – make sure any tiny gaps are properly filled (add a couple of layers in total)
- It will take about 10 minutes for the glue to be somewhat dry or fully dry – if any pieces or parts of the puzzle stick up, gently and slowly push them down to ensure that the surface is flat.
- Carefully pick up the puzzle (for the safest way, carefully slide the puzzle on a piece of cutting board or cardboard that is the same size or bigger as the puzzle) and flip the puzzle.
- Before you place the puzzle down, make sure the over paper doesn’t have undried glue – you don’t have your puzzle getting glued to your oven paper.
- Apply the glue in sections
- Spread the glue evenly, filling in any gaps
- As this layer dries, add a few more layers following the same steps to ensure a strong bond and hold
Conclusion
To glue up a puzzle without a backer board, you only need the following very few items:
- Oven paper
- Puzzle glue (or basic decoupage glue)
- Plastic tool, sponge, or brush to evenly spread the glue
And the rest is very easy. Follow the steps in this guide, and you will have your puzzle glued together with a stronghold.
Remember to make sure the front of the puzzle looks even and flat as you add layers of glue to it.
