What makes a jigsaw puzzle easy or difficult?

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  • Опубликовано: 3 окт 2019
  • Support my channel on Patreon and get lots of bonus puzzle content! Everyone at $3 and above gets all the same perks: / karenpuzzles
    Today I'm talking about what elements make a jigsaw puzzle easy or difficult, so you know what to look for if you're just starting out or if you want a challenge!
    Watch my video about how to do giant puzzles:
    • The Secret to Doing Gi...
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    All of the puzzles I mentioned (all Amazon links are affiliate links):
    Canvas by Cloudberries: www.cloudberries.co.uk/produc...
    Colorful Mini Cupcakes by PuzzleBug: amzn.to/2Mfl2sr
    (similar puzzle)
    Life of the Party by Piecework Puzzles: pieceworkpuzzles.com/collecti...
    Morning by Pomegranate Puzzles: amzn.to/2ImCZ7D
    Crazy BBQ by Bits and Pieces: amzn.to/2nbS18C
    Gradient by Cloudberries: amzn.to/2LLouMH
    1000 Colors Puzzle: amzn.to/2OpodjY
    Purple Gradient by Areaware: amzn.to/31X0nQw
    Color my Heart by Ravensburger: amzn.to/30KKaN8
    Lighthouse Garden by Bits and Pieces: amzn.to/2AGJ4r9
    Sewing Desk by Bits and Pieces: amzn.to/30LGUkB
    UFO Victorian Ladies by Eeboo: shop.eeboo.com/p/ufo-victorian...
    Crystals by Cloudberries: amzn.to/332ngSQ
    Abundant Blooms by Ravensburger: amzn.to/356uNBW
    Cupcakes by Colorluxe: www.puzzlewarehouse.com/Cupca...
    (300 piece version)
    Firecracker Labels by Eeboo: amzn.to/2V9gB6M
    Shopping Shakeup by Wasgij: amzn.to/2pFuj5v
    Krypt by Ravensburger: amzn.to/2OkmwV2
    Pure White Jigsaw Puzzle: amzn.to/2AHPjLk
    World's Most Difficult Puzzles - Cupcakes: amzn.to/30P8GwN
    World's Most Difficult Puzzles - Sweetshop: amzn.to/31J540k
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Комментарии • 350

  • @BerniekWittendorp
    @BerniekWittendorp 4 года назад +249

    For me personally what really makes a puzzle difficult is large sections of one colour. Mostly because it removes all my motivation. I need lots of different colours and patterns to keep my motivation up. I do agree that when the images are more naturally blended it’s gets harder. So contrast is indeed important.

    • @clarkkent7973
      @clarkkent7973 4 года назад +6

      I love large sections of one color because you can just concentrate on the shape of the pieces.

    • @mplambert33
      @mplambert33 4 года назад

      Berniek Wittendorp n’y e HD

    • @mirabhattacharya8474
      @mirabhattacharya8474 3 года назад +1

      Same

    • @stephstargirl
      @stephstargirl 3 года назад

      same! Gradient puzzles would be torture for me

  • @tm6945
    @tm6945 4 года назад +114

    Contrast! I’ve realized that doing a puzzle that’s the same shade as your table makes it a lot more difficult 😂

  • @scarylion1roar
    @scarylion1roar 3 года назад +66

    the puzzles I find most difficult are low quality ones of any number pieces that: are poorly cut, have too similar pieces, and huge swathes of one colour.

    • @taralouise2194
      @taralouise2194 3 года назад +5

      OMG, that is the type of puzzle I am doing right now. the pieces are so similar and it seems that several pieces fit into the same spot! I think its cheap. I bought it at a garage sale 15 years ago!!!

    • @theodorebraxton4509
      @theodorebraxton4509 2 года назад

      I dont mean to be so off topic but does any of you know of a tool to get back into an instagram account?
      I somehow lost the login password. I would appreciate any help you can offer me!

    • @theodorebraxton4509
      @theodorebraxton4509 2 года назад

      @Dariel Lian i really appreciate your reply. I got to the site through google and Im in the hacking process atm.
      Seems to take a while so I will reply here later with my results.

    • @theodorebraxton4509
      @theodorebraxton4509 2 года назад +1

      @Dariel Lian it worked and I actually got access to my account again. I am so happy:D
      Thanks so much you saved my ass :D

    • @dariellian1009
      @dariellian1009 2 года назад

      @Theodore Braxton happy to help :)

  • @klaraaa688
    @klaraaa688 4 года назад +148

    Karen: gradient puzzles are really easy
    Me: laughs in colorblind

    • @panzer04
      @panzer04 Год назад

      Lol

    • @wkrijthe
      @wkrijthe 3 месяца назад

      There's an idea for a puzzle! One that is harder to solve for people who are NOT colorblind! Wouldn't that be something? A competition where the colorblind people have a huge advantage and the not-colorblind can't even see why some puzzlers find it so easy to solve! It's obviously a bit late to organise this for April 1, 2024, but maybe 2025???

    • @whydoineedanameiwillneverp7790
      @whydoineedanameiwillneverp7790 Месяц назад

      ​@@wkrijthe That's a great idea!
      H2CT did an experiment/video with her colour blind son - she put a "colour blind filter" over an image of crayons. The resultant picture looked like shades of brown to me - but her son correctly identified most of the colours! I know there are different kinds and experience of colour blindness, so it might not work for everyone - but I would love to see that image being made into a jigsaw puzzle!

  • @sunnyscott4876
    @sunnyscott4876 2 года назад +30

    I am a 70 year old lady with poor eyesight. I don't have a dedicated workspace which makes things harder. What I have learned from you has helped tremendously but I still find finishing a 36 piece puzzle on my tablet a little bit challenging. I think I might try something new. Maybe 300 pieces of a real puzzle if I get brave. Thanks for the videos.
    You are a delightful young woman. 💛🌟💛

    • @CherryHotSauce
      @CherryHotSauce 9 месяцев назад +2

      you can do it sunny

    • @sunnyscott4876
      @sunnyscott4876 9 месяцев назад +1

      @@CherryHotSauce Thanks 😊

    • @dothedo3667
      @dothedo3667 8 месяцев назад +2

      Hey! I don't know where you're at now, but some brands (I know Bits and Pieces is one) make "senior puzzles" that are lower count and have larger pieces. Bits and Pieces has 50-piece puzzles where the pieces are 3 inches big. They even have letters on the back of the pieces if you want help sorting them into smaller sections (I think it's divided into quarters/corners A through D). I hope you're having some fun! It's great for you mind too.

    • @M_SC
      @M_SC 7 месяцев назад +2

      I have poor eyesight at 46 and I have discovered that 300 piece puzzles often come in larger easier to see pieces. They’re still not easy but they are fun and you don’t have to squint and wait for good daylight. These are not the ones made specifically for elderly.

  • @rosemarymaluchnik9445
    @rosemarymaluchnik9445 4 года назад +37

    You are so unique and I am so glad I found you on you tube. I just started doing puzzles. I am 72 years old. You have given me so many insights. Thank you Karen.

  • @lakenziecrawford7142
    @lakenziecrawford7142 4 года назад +23

    I love puzzles like the ones you call extremely difficult. While they probably take me way longer, being able to put peices together without doing a lot of guessing makes me feel like I'm actually doing a puzzle and not just guessing on it. My favorite are the ones with little people or things all over them. I call them search and find puzzles because you see so many funny/odd details when putting it together that you would never notice just looking at it. They take forever to put together and you have to use the box as a guide, but it is so entertaining and I never feel stuck.

    • @nagging_itch2487
      @nagging_itch2487 4 года назад

      I am the same with the fun/odd. I love Colin Thompson puzzles because of all the fun things he puts in. I did the first 3 Awesome Alphabet ones in a row and just ordered the 18,000 pc to have - no sure when I will start it. The Heye triangular puzzles are also so fun! Love the Cruise Ship one.

    • @gopaytonman
      @gopaytonman Год назад +1

      Contrast... since we’re new to puzzling they’re all pretty hard. We just haven’t developed an eye yet so even the 250 piece puzzle takes us forever. But we’re enjoying it!

  • @celinevetsch
    @celinevetsch 4 года назад +10

    I recently did a puzzle without looking at the picture on the box, the only thing I knew from the begining was, that there would be 2 puppies, I didn't know their colour or anything about the background. It was a really nice challenge! :)

  • @soleil1953
    @soleil1953 4 года назад +104

    Who else is getting back into/just now into puzzles now that we're in quarantine?

    • @eleonoragiannetti3603
      @eleonoragiannetti3603 4 года назад

      That was my plan, but toy stores are closed and couriers deliver only first necessity items so....

    • @gingerdoucet8162
      @gingerdoucet8162 4 года назад +1

      Me, but I got one very very challenging and it’s been a while since I did puzzles... I’m having a hard time

    • @sharonhall1125
      @sharonhall1125 4 года назад

      I love puzzles!

    • @karamqinnab6652
      @karamqinnab6652 3 года назад

      MEEEE

    • @freewoodencrosses
      @freewoodencrosses 3 года назад

      We had not been doing puzzles for many years before Covid-19 and now we have been doing puzzles every day with my 97-year-old mother in law and she loves what we call PUZZLE TIME, even if she doesn't get very far. We are moving down from 1000 pieces to 500 so she can fit more pieces together. I think she is way more lucid doing puzzles and being with other people. Nursing homes should have puzzle time.

  • @Jayzelnut
    @Jayzelnut 3 года назад +9

    I've been binging a lot of your videos and I have to say, this is one of the best channels to go into the comments and read them. You gave created such a lovely and calming community, Karen 💕

  • @bettyhonold2842
    @bettyhonold2842 Год назад +2

    Contrast of colors helps a lot! I like colorful puzzles.

  • @MariaAya
    @MariaAya 4 года назад +39

    I cant stand puzzles, but this is one of the sweetest chanels in youtube, wish you to be safe in this coronavirus era :) Greedings from Athens Greece

  • @keirashillinglaw3648
    @keirashillinglaw3648 4 года назад +8

    Karen, you are fantastic. I love to hear your opinions on all these puzzles and listen to all your experiences with them. Thank you!

  • @annep2693
    @annep2693 4 года назад +29

    Some of my favorite puzzles to do are folk art paintings by artists like Art Poulin and Charles Wysocki. These artists put in lots of fun details so there are very few expanses of a single flat color. The different elements of buildings/trees/streets/people/lawns make the pieces easy to sort.

    • @sandrahardison1553
      @sandrahardison1553 3 года назад +2

      I'm so glad to see a 'hands up' comment for folk art and Poulin and Wysocki are great.

    • @erikanickel9274
      @erikanickel9274 11 месяцев назад

      Wysocki is easy because there are clearly defined shapes and clean lines. No blending!

  • @cindyderosier
    @cindyderosier Год назад +3

    Contrast always helps! But whether or not the pieces interlock makes a big difference for me in how easy or difficult a puzzle is.

  • @dijoemu
    @dijoemu 4 года назад +6

    I think another difficulty factor is whether or not the pieces fully interlock. It’s frustrating when pieces appear to match but are incorrect and that slows down progress. Nice video- some of the puzzle links are no longer working.

  • @katerinachamradova5919
    @katerinachamradova5919 3 года назад +3

    Contrast! I recently find you on RUclips, watched TONS of your videos and become obsessed wit puzzles. Thank you so much for my new hobby ☺️🥰

  • @melissaharris7680
    @melissaharris7680 4 года назад +10

    Non-standard cut puzzles drive me bonkers, especially when the box doesn't declare that it's a non-standard cut. I've gotten so fed up with wonky piece shapes that I've given up on puzzles completely after getting too frustrated with lack of progress. Scenery puzzles do get complicated too, not just big expanses of sky, but also tree lines and vegetation that have no contrast in the pieces to discern where anything goes.

  • @dianapenzes9055
    @dianapenzes9055 4 года назад +19

    I like this chanel soo much. It intruduces me different brands, different levels of the puzzles and gives me ideas where and what to buy what is good quality
    Thank you Karen puzzles 😊😊😊😊

  • @17planets89
    @17planets89 4 года назад +9

    "Contrast" I agree with you. One addition to the shapes of pieces is I once did a puzzle that was not fully interlocking and it was the worst. It kept sliding apart on the table. May I suggest the phrase, the shape of the pieces?

  • @degasade
    @degasade 4 года назад +5

    Awwwww... Mini-Karen doing Bert and Ernie Sesame Street puzzle... 🙀 cuteness overload 👶

  • @katieboise
    @katieboise 3 года назад +2

    This video was so helpful I am now able to better pick out puzzles that I enjoy I have found a couple that were frustrating and now I know what to look for This was so informative

  • @sarahmonster4936
    @sarahmonster4936 4 года назад +3

    I am STRUGGLING with Pommegranate's Escher puzzle. Lordy. It's such a contrast to my "easier" puzzles. Thanks again for the video!

  • @lethiapage4767
    @lethiapage4767 4 года назад +12

    I love that "morning" puzzle. I call those "where's waldo?"

    • @nancysturm9162
      @nancysturm9162 4 года назад

      I had a Where’s Waldo puzzle years ago. 1000 pcs at least. I gave up.

  • @Greenfly_original
    @Greenfly_original 4 месяца назад +1

    I love the Wasgij puzzles. They reignited my love for puzzles. It was so hard to find puzzles that weren't frustrating but still not too easy. Wasgij gave me a new angle to puzzleling and I am so happy whenever I can afford another one of them 😂 only thing that I wish they would change more, is that they tend to use pictures with just a bunch of people crowded together. I love the ones with just a handful of characters in the front and some smaller in the Background.

  • @lynettemb4532
    @lynettemb4532 4 года назад +4

    One of the hardest puzzles I have done is Vincent Van Gogh Starry Night. All of his brush strokes are very similar and his colours don't vary too much. So we don't get the contrast. Thanks for all of your tips Karen.

    • @ARDreamy
      @ARDreamy Год назад +1

      I had this puzzle undone for over a decade, usually in storage rolled up on a shelf. Every time I tried to work on it, I never got very far. I finally finished it last year and I decided the image quality was poor and the pieces were loose fitting. I was only missing one piece after all that time. I would like to try it again if there was a version with a better quality image. I’m curious if there are actually more details in the brush strokes that didn’t come through in the printing.

  • @mariaskoozynska3486
    @mariaskoozynska3486 4 года назад +1

    My partner and I had a little holiday break and since the weather was really awful we decided (completely out of the blue) to buy jigsaw puzzle of 1000 pieces. The thing is... we haven't done one in a decade and we bought a new that looks a lot like Where's Wally where it basically is impossible to find anything on the picture. Finally it took us 3 days and in total 5 people to do it over about 20 hours but we finished it and I will never buy a puzzle like this again :D (The puzzle was Ravensburger London Looking East)

  • @janetmichel3009
    @janetmichel3009 3 года назад +2

    Can confirm about gradient puzzles. I just did my first 1000 piece one yesterday and it took me about half the time 1000 pieces of an easier image usually takes me. I'm planning to try the 5000 one next.

  • @bridgetisadreamer
    @bridgetisadreamer Месяц назад

    I love getting all of your older videos suggested to me :3 there's so much backlog to look forward to!

  • @ChefsKiss-
    @ChefsKiss- 4 года назад

    Just found your channel and subscribed! I started my very first Jigsaw Puzzle yesterday. 550 pieces (cats and things) I wanted something different to do while self isolating during this Covid Crisis. I worked on organizing for two hours yesterday and a couple hours today... I barely have one side of the boarder done! I laughed at myself, when you talked about how quick you do yours! I’ll be binge watching your vids for tips! I hope you’re keeping safe. “Contrast” 🥰

  • @katieboise
    @katieboise 3 года назад +2

    Just discovered you. Been doing puzzles during the pandemic and loving it. You have great tricks and tips. I puzzle clue mine and mount them on a poster board and use them as wall art love that I can change them

  • @AuntGrace
    @AuntGrace 2 года назад +1

    Learning a lot from you 💕about different puzzles. Also that it is okay to stop doing one tat is too hard or not fun. “Contrast”

  • @cremebearies5707
    @cremebearies5707 3 года назад +6

    I’m doing a 3.000 piece harry potter hogwarts puzzle from aquarius, and the colour scheme is really minimal which drives me crazy, so I tried to seperate it into 4 different colour section (plus seperating the side and corners) then seperate each colour section by the shape. Also i’m literally counting every single piece of puzzle i suceeded to put together and write it down on a piece of paper to keep me motivated😂 i also watch your videos to keep me motivated to lol

    • @aliced3524
      @aliced3524 3 года назад

      Harry Potter puzzles are the worst! I’m working on Noble Collection’s Escape from Gringotts 1000 piece and it is so hard, everything for the dragon and background is so indistinguishable from each other. It’s going to take me a very long time so I feel your pain!

  • @juliakernitz
    @juliakernitz 3 года назад +6

    My partner and I have been doing puzzles obsessively during the pandemic. We have lots of names for the piece shapes: alien house, alien helmets, drippers, mountain climbers, townhouse with garage, double nubber, three hole one nubbers...
    "I need an alien helmet with a yellow nub and a skinny shoulder" and the other person will know exactly how to help

    • @dennisjj6529
      @dennisjj6529 2 года назад

      That's funny, but I can see how it would be helpful, ...lol

  • @earthandfire4840
    @earthandfire4840 3 года назад +2

    youve inspired me to do the only puzzles that i own! i havent started yet and am a total beginner but one of the two i own is a psychedelic art print so im nervous but eager! thanks for your inspo :)

  • @ikindoflikemangoes4951
    @ikindoflikemangoes4951 4 года назад +52

    I’m working on a 1000 piece with horses and a lot of sky, i did the horses first and now the sky part makes me want to take the whole puzzle apart and give up :(

    • @Kikkerv11
      @Kikkerv11 3 года назад +2

      Don't give up! The more pieces you have added, the less remain and the easier it gets!
      I don't mind skies as much AS LONG AS each piece has a different shape. I just finished a puzzle where every piece had the standard "2 in, 2 out" shape. That sky was incredibly hard.

    • @River_wylde
      @River_wylde 3 года назад

      Im working on buffalos vivid collection wild color 12700. Its an large rainbow leopard its kicking my butt

  • @RawringTaters
    @RawringTaters 3 года назад +5

    Some of the harder 1000+ piece puzzles Ive done are impressionist images. All of the brushstrokes and cooors make it veryyyyy tough in a larger size. I expected it easier but when its broken up it becomes such a jumble. Super fun and rewarding though. So if you like art its very fun. Also MC Escher art as puzzles look like theyd be easy due to shapes but shadows and such are so deceiving. Harder contrast ;)

    • @shakeandblake92
      @shakeandblake92 Месяц назад

      Just gave up on one that was literally just abstract brush strokes 😂

  • @cathydavis210
    @cathydavis210 2 года назад +1

    Nice to know you found a challenging puzzle!😀

  • @miriammartin9319
    @miriammartin9319 4 года назад

    You explained the reasons I like some and dislike others. I will definitely be using your info when I pick puzzles in the future.

  • @mupi176
    @mupi176 4 года назад

    Karen, I love your videos. I’m not sure how one of your videos came up in my RUclips feed, but I’m glad it did. I’ve haven’t done any kind of jigsaw puzzles since I was a little kid, but after watching your videos, I got really excited to try them as an adult and bought that gorgeous Ravensburger Abundant Blooms, despite your assessment that it’s harder than it looks. It just arrived today and I can’t wait to get started on it! Contrast :)

  • @a-little-sunshine
    @a-little-sunshine 3 года назад +2

    One of the puzzles I bought yesterday (inspired by you!) claims to be the world's most difficult puzzle (it's even trademarked as such, so it must be true, hah) and I'm going to look out for that CONTRAST you mentioned between the back and front as it's a double-sided one. I hope I can find even a a few sections!

  • @c.a.f1012
    @c.a.f1012 4 года назад +4

    Karen, so happy that I found you today..love your page. I love Charles Wysocki puzzles! My granddaughter last Christmas bought me another artist and the puzzle still sits not finished. I want to finish it for her because I have puzzles I want to do ..I think is a Teri Redlin? One and it’s so dark..I learned some tips today and so I will give it another crack. Thanks again Karen.. Blessings!

    • @bernadettenorris4255
      @bernadettenorris4255 4 года назад

      I have trouble putting together any puzzle what is the best way to to do one

  • @judicrothers2542
    @judicrothers2542 4 года назад +6

    Hi Karen, I love your videos, what a fabulous young lady you are. At the grand old age of 56 I have only just started to do jigsaw puzzles - currently doing Ravensburger ‘Retro Rosies’ 1000 piece puzzle. I think at the moment I am just a tad slower than you would be lol.
    So Greetings from Hillsborough, Co Down Northern Ireland

  • @terileighbaird8950
    @terileighbaird8950 3 года назад +3

    “Contrast”. My husband and I did our very first puzzle 🧩 yesterday. It was a gift. We enjoyed it and look forward to doing others. It was the medium sized owl from Unidragon. Have you done one of their puzzles yet? We really loved the unique puzzle shapes and surprises.

  • @alisonburgess345
    @alisonburgess345 4 года назад +2

    I’ve got “Canvas” but haven’t done it yet. I like a medium contrast puzzle I must say. Really huge blocks of colours are, as you say, tedious to do. Puzzles that are too easy I’m not that into. I’m doing the Heye Audrey Hepburn puzzle that is a medium difficulty I’d say. Nice vid Karen.

  • @mariamarchozzi850
    @mariamarchozzi850 4 года назад +2

    I haven't done a puzzle in a really long time, but I just got a periodic table puzzle(yes im a nerd) and I'm gonna work on it this week

  • @CarolynNicanderMohr
    @CarolynNicanderMohr 4 года назад +2

    Hi Karen, Thanks for explaining the contrast between easy and difficult puzzles. My family got me a puzzle with puppies on it for my birthday (and a real puppy!). Doing the puzzle took about a month, even though we were staying at home for the pandemic. The puppy fur was all brown and beige which made doing the puzzle incredibly difficult.
    It's important to find the sweet spot between puzzles that are too difficult and too easy and your video will definitely help with that.

    • @KarenPuzzles
      @KarenPuzzles  4 года назад +1

      That's such a nice gift! I hope your puppy didn't steal too many pieces!

    • @CarolynNicanderMohr
      @CarolynNicanderMohr 4 года назад +1

      @@KarenPuzzles How did you know that my new puppy loves to steal puzzle pieces? ;-)
      He actually found a puzzle piece that was missing when we finished the puppy puzzle. I do my puzzles on a square board that spins (makes doing puzzles much easier) on top of a table. After the puppy puzzle was finished and we realized that we were missing a piece, my puppy bumped into a corner of the board, spinning it. The missing puzzle piece was under the board and dropped to the floor as the board spun around. Best puppy ever!

  • @clberka
    @clberka 3 года назад

    While this likely is too late, I saw the secret word for the video was CONTRAST! Thank you so much, Karen. You have inspired me and my husband to get back into jigsaw puzzles after many years, and we are really enjoying them :) we did a dog puzzle recently, with many dogs with a blue background, and that standard ONE SHAPE piece, and it was a killer. I think this is widely available at Barnes and Noble, as I have a friend who told me she also did that same puzzle. The dog fur mostly looked the same, when it was the same color, and the background had no gradient. It was 1000 pieces, so would have been easier if the pieces came in more than the standard shape, but we still finished it in two days! Keep bringing us this great content, and happy puzzling. :)

  • @cadcar13
    @cadcar13 4 года назад

    Just discovered your channel! So much fun!i think I’m going to get back into jigsaw puzzles. Got rid of mine years ago when I got the iPad app for puzzles, but it’s not the same. Thanks for sharing! CONTRAST! 😬

  • @dianapenzes9055
    @dianapenzes9055 4 года назад +2

    Contrast
    For me the gradient one from Cloudberries was the easiest puzzle however I enjoyed doing it the most...those colours are amazing, real feast for the eyes 😍 really really great fun, highly recommended to anyone 😉

  • @fergusfarm3793
    @fergusfarm3793 7 месяцев назад

    The first puzzle I did as an adult was a large shaped puzzle. It was 1000 pc cat reaching for a butterfly. No square border to start with. It got me fully hooked.

  • @sj6919
    @sj6919 4 года назад +1

    If I've done a puzzle which was a challenge, the next one I do will be easier or fewer pieces. I avoid big areas of sky and vegetation because they are boring. I also switch from grid-style to the irregular shaped pieces just for a change; neither seems easier or harder to me. I knew the Ravensburger puzzle would be somewhat difficult because I just worked one with a good-sized floral garden, and it took me quite a while. (Seagull Garden, eeboo.) Thanks for the video.

  • @KarenPuzzles
    @KarenPuzzles  4 года назад +7

    What do you think about what I say makes a puzzle easy or difficult? Do you have any other qualities you look for?

    • @jelissab
      @jelissab 4 года назад +3

      I definitely agree that same colors such as skys and oceans may at times destroy my soul. I have one right now that is 3000 pieces and the building is chipping away at my spirit. I think puzzles that are too busy are difficult too. Puzzling lures you into a zoning and calming trance as you put pieces together (i hope i made sense) and real busy puzzles pull me out of that trance.

    • @clarkkent7973
      @clarkkent7973 4 года назад +3

      @@jelissab For me personally, the blue sky is my favorite part of a landscape puzzle. The hardest part for me is section of green like trees, bushes, and grass because it seems like I cannot see the difference between green shades.

    • @clarkkent7973
      @clarkkent7973 4 года назад +2

      For me personally, a great amount of fine detail/pattern like tree leaves makes a puzzle very difficult. It seems like the pattern distracts me from seeing the shape of the pieces.

    • @clarkkent7973
      @clarkkent7973 4 года назад +1

      I like to see that different sections of the puzzle have different colors. If the same color/texture exists in multiple areas of the puzzles, it is hard to figure out where a piece goes.

    • @clarkkent7973
      @clarkkent7973 4 года назад +2

      The animals, houses/structures/cars (man made) are the easiest part of any landscape.

  • @playsfluteforfun
    @playsfluteforfun 4 года назад

    I really enjoy contrast in your videos. I just picked up puzzling during COVID 19 and had no idea all the different kinds of puzzles that are out there. Not sure how you are able to do a puzzle in 3 hours, as mine take days but maybe as I apply your tips, I will get faster. Thanks so much for your videos 😊

  • @mariedingus4078
    @mariedingus4078 4 года назад +1

    Bits and pieces looks like fun.Good Luck

  • @icturner23
    @icturner23 2 года назад

    14:52 “There are A FEW other puzzles out there that are also all one colour.” LOL, such an innocent time.

  • @petrescuework-difficultcas6581
    @petrescuework-difficultcas6581 4 года назад +2

    Yay, I waited for you to mention the Krypt

  • @scyllas214
    @scyllas214 4 года назад +3

    I agree being able group all similar colours together making things easier but can be a detriment if they are to alike like the sky or the purple gradient have had my fair share of that happening did a 450 piece recently that took me a long time because there was one part that all looked the same with very subtle differences it was a white/green dress with a crane design on it. I also found that the shape of the puzzle can play a part in the difficulty as well I have done a few where they were a little over 7" wide and over 20" high to me personally they felt easier to put together when compared to others of similar puzzle counts.

  • @Maggie-tr2kd
    @Maggie-tr2kd 4 года назад +2

    I greatly prefer random cut jigsaw puzzles and I try to purchase from puzzle brands known to use the random cut. I find enjoyment in the variety of shapes of the puzzle pieces. I have bought puzzles with the standard grid cut but they have to have an absolutely amazing design that I cannot pass up.

  • @jaxita100
    @jaxita100 4 года назад +1

    finally i found a video of puzzles than catch my attention! Good!

  • @ladycallieriddle
    @ladycallieriddle 2 года назад

    Feeling a lot better after watching this! I just finished doing Gibsons Avocado Park puzzle - beautiful to look at but it was an absolute nightmare and took hours and hours 🥑🤯

  • @marigo_
    @marigo_ 4 года назад +12

    12:11 3 little pieces ran away

  • @freewoodencrosses
    @freewoodencrosses 3 года назад

    We had a 1000 piece puzzles that were an array of doors and windows 11 across and 6 down. It was like 66 small puzzles in one large puzzle. To simplify it, I took a rectangle of thin plywood and glued small wooden strips to make 66 small compartments and marked 1 thru 11 across the top and 1 thru 6 down. When sorting the puzzle pieces, I could find the place where it belonged and just placed the piece in that section on the plywood, I would give My 97-year-old mother in law pieces from each section to put together, and it basically made 66 small puzzles that she could handle.
    We always put the puzzle in a plastic bag when we are finished, but I never sort the edges like you suggested, because I never do a puzzle twice. I usually give them away.

  • @camipco
    @camipco Год назад +1

    Personally, my strategy on puzzles like the Ravensburger pencils is to start with the outline of any solid color areas, then to fill in the solid color. Then to do the more differentiated multi-color areas. This isn't time-wise the most efficient. But it is, for me, psychologically the most efficient because I get the boring part out of the way earlier and get to enjoy the rest.

    • @littleDutchie92
      @littleDutchie92 Год назад +1

      Same!! I tend to start with the sky or something to"get it out of the way" and have the fun parts ahead!

  • @user-ts8xn1ns7m
    @user-ts8xn1ns7m 4 года назад +3

    Hi Karen! Flamingo playground is my favorite! NEW YORK wasn't bad either. I find it expensive though. Hugs from Greece 🇬🇷

    • @user-yq1py5rd7t
      @user-yq1py5rd7t 3 года назад

      Χαίρομαι που βρήκα άλλη μια ελληνίδα που φτιάχνει παζλ και έχει τα ίδια γούστα με εμένα τα παζλ που ανέφερες είναι όντως εντυπωσιακά!!!!

  • @juliewilburn2942
    @juliewilburn2942 3 года назад

    Contrast ☺️ I am enjoying your videos - I just this year started working puzzles regularly and I have gotten a lot of great information and inspiration here!! Thanks and keep up the great work 🧩🧩🧩🧩

  • @Just.one.paige2024
    @Just.one.paige2024 3 года назад

    I have become way too addicted to binging your videos. Im not even a puzzler. But hey I enjoy your videos!

  • @crochetingcanuck
    @crochetingcanuck 4 года назад +2

    OMG that picture of child you doing the Sesame Street puzzle...I just recently bought a couple of those from a thrift store for my 2 year old! I've had more fun with them than she has though lol! Contrast.

  • @urban_shepherd
    @urban_shepherd 4 года назад +1

    Thanks for the video Karen!
    Contrast!

  • @WinnieFinesse
    @WinnieFinesse 4 года назад +2

    I agree with all your points haha! Contrast! I have a few I thought would be easy and oooo boy was I wrong haha 😂

  • @Username-fy1vr
    @Username-fy1vr 4 года назад +2

    CONTRAST
    Any drawings or cartoonish topics are puzzles that almost force you to look at the box...something that I dislike doing a lot; I like to have my hints from the fitted piece adjacent to the missing piece. So gradients, photos tend to avoid having to look at the box so often, which makes the puzzle more fun, although its challenge would still remain.
    Non-standard piece shapes are another fun challenge, rather than just depending on a gradient...these should be puzzles over 1500 pcs.
    I've had the same experience with double-digit puzzles..you actually CAN tell which side is which with the way the puzzle is cut- and even more boring is when the pieces stay together when you lift the puzzle to turn it over!!!
    Puzzles with no borders can become easily solveable if you separate the borders for the next time you work it.
    Puzzle pieces that lack quality & thickness break away the awaited satisfying snapping noise that takes away the fun as well.
    Any puzzle that wants to "challenge" you with doublesidedness, one color, few colors, low quality flimsy pieces that doesn't allow to move sections,etc, I consider a boring tedious ripoff.
    If there is no pleasure mixed with a challenge, then its not worth the time.
    A puzzle with gradients, non-standard pieces, colorful, high quality thick pieces is what I would search for in a puzzle, which would blend fun with a challenge.

  • @lynseylawton-roberts3768
    @lynseylawton-roberts3768 4 года назад

    Puzzle Pieces! Thank you for your tips! Xx

  • @Jennifer-cj5pd
    @Jennifer-cj5pd 3 года назад +1

    I agree with what you said about the different traits of easy vs harder puzzles. I also love puzzles with text too! Have you tried any photo mosaic puzzles? I’ve done one. A coke a cola one. There was little contrast in that one. It was crazy.

  • @galeem713
    @galeem713 3 года назад

    CONTRAST. I got a puzzle of the Roman coliseum, 300 pieces, when I was 6. Wrong type of gift but I had the mumps and did the puzzle while I was sick. Did not enjoy it.
    But recently, because my eyes are having problems focusing and it makes reading knitting patterns or beading impossible but putting puzzles together possible. I got one on marketplace for free and I thought it would be easy. It’s a green rocking chair on a porch of a white house and the is a flying geese quilt hanging on a line. But there are tons of green grass and trees. I have the edge done and lots of containers with different colour groups. It will get done but not sure I am going to enjoy it.

  • @raincloud1157
    @raincloud1157 3 года назад

    Contrast. I love your page and how u explain about puzzles. I’m doing a Friends 1000 pieces. It’s so hard so many faces. I’ll get it done hopefully lol. Thank u for sharing your videos.

  • @lisaeverett2116
    @lisaeverett2116 4 года назад +4

    Thanks for your video. Currently working on the Ravensburger Astrology Puzzle. The hardest part is the sky as it is all shades of purple and black. The hardest thing is that the pieces repeat, so you fit one piece, but the colours are only ever so slightly off, so adds time finding both pieces and fitting the right one in! Loving it though. Looking at getting the 18000 piece next :)

  • @sallygomez8799
    @sallygomez8799 3 года назад

    I have been doing puzzles my whole life because my mom loved putting them together and me and my sisters would always work them together. I want to have fun doing puzzles which is why I enjoy colorful ones. My main interest is Americana, animals, etc., but I enjoy others as well.

  • @szotyi9
    @szotyi9 4 года назад +6

    Thank you for making this video! I started doing puzzles about a month ago and I just buy whichever I like. And ofc I run into difficult ones, when I think they would be easy, so your tips really help. Thank you ❤️ I'm not sure how I feel about gradient puzzles, they are beautiful but for whatever reason I think they are a bit boring without a picture. Maybe I should give them a chance 😀

  • @kathleenemenecker7260
    @kathleenemenecker7260 2 года назад

    It was a pleasure listening as you always give different clues. On a few of the puzzles the contrast was really great 👍. You really got some beautiful puzzles….can’t wait to ssee what you’ll be doing me

    • @kathleenemenecker7260
      @kathleenemenecker7260 2 года назад

      Can’t wait to see what you’ll be doing next. Sorry !! I have a error as you can see. This number two. Thanks Till next time Kathy E.

  • @christinahutchison3967
    @christinahutchison3967 4 года назад +2

    I just pick puzzles that the pictures interest me. I don’t focus on whether there is contrast or texture or division or anything like that. A couple of my most difficult puzzles were well before you were even thought of LOL. They were readers digest puzzles and my grandfather got me a cheetah lion and leopard. The leopard was one of the most difficult puzzles I wanna say it was around 5000 pieces but it was mostly black but the black was it truly black it range from dark brown black to someplace is a medium brown and there were lines for the whiskers and The eyes were dark in the background was a jungly tape background with just shades of green. Now maybe I think it was the most difficult puzzle I ever did because I was about 12 years old when my grandfather got me this huge issues puzzles but I had them up until about five years ago I had glued them together in my grandfather mounted them for me but they got damaged in the flood.

  • @suzannebowers8634
    @suzannebowers8634 3 года назад

    Contrast: I just finished a 1000 piece puzzle called Tapestry Cat. The outside of the cat is a darker shade with flowers, some grasses and a couple birds. It’s a little brighter at the bottom. The whole cat is brighter and the interior is filled with flowers and grasses. So colorful! The boarder is also colorful and quite complex! So, now it’s time to glue this thing together and get it framed!

  • @kellysuttle6748
    @kellysuttle6748 8 месяцев назад +1

    thanks !very helpful

  • @donnaq2525
    @donnaq2525 4 года назад

    Enjoyed this video. Lots of good info. Contrast. Thanks!

  • @jsp181963
    @jsp181963 4 года назад +3

    Great stuff. I'm guessing you have done something on the quality of pieces. This can also make a puzzle easy or difficult.

  • @cecilias_shorts
    @cecilias_shorts 3 года назад

    I do puzzles on my tablet....if one looked hard I would pass on it but since watching your videos I do them all....there is a mystery puzzle each day where you don't know what the puzzle is of....you earn point for each puzzle and with those points you can get more puzzles 🐨🐨

    • @sunnyscott4876
      @sunnyscott4876 2 года назад

      I am a 70 year old lady. I started doing some on my tablet because I don't have a dedicated workspace and my eyesight is not very good.
      I enjoy doing the easy ones.

  • @charnegooch4274
    @charnegooch4274 4 года назад +2

    I agree with you! Found pretty much the same stuff you have over the years of puzzling...and the Sawgij less difficult than expected. I do like lots of contrast :) in a puzzle and lots of colour!

  • @VeganCheeseburger
    @VeganCheeseburger Год назад

    really useful; thank you!!

  • @Kkffoo
    @Kkffoo Год назад +1

    One thing that makes puzzles hard for me is when the guide image is different to the image on the puzzle pieces (I don't mean those puzzles that do this deliberately). Sometimes the colour is a very different shade or tone, other times the detail of the box image varies and it makes it hard to work out what goes where.

  • @user-pm8nj3mb6q
    @user-pm8nj3mb6q 6 месяцев назад

    OK, so the difficult part, as I see it, is where you can not determine the position from the colours. Of course, that can be things like lack of contrast, but more in general, it may be that there is no fixed location for each shade. The terrible Jan van Haasteren puzzles show that Van Haasteren is a comics artist, with lots of stuff happening in the image. Because of that there is a certain Where is Wally/-do over the whole image, with bits of colour appearing throughout the image.
    That's the same for the Wasgij? puzzles: "Wasgij" is "Jigsaw" written the other way, and the puzzle show the image taken the other way. The box needs to show enough of a clue for each element in the puzzle, and the other way around: The image has to refer to all those clues on the box. This, makes for Van Haasteren-like images, and thus the colours appear all over.

  • @clarkkent7973
    @clarkkent7973 4 года назад +1

    If you are looking for a puzzle with lots of interesting shape sizes, look for the "SunsOut" brand. This brand also seems to have vibrant inks and uses thick cardboard so pieces are not flimsy.

  • @peeyushchamaria
    @peeyushchamaria 4 года назад +2

    Another wonderful video. Thanks.
    Please make some videos suggestions puzzles for kids as I have a daughter who's 4 and I really want her to start doing some puzzles with "contrast" colors in them.
    P. S. I really like your voice!

  • @bethmerit
    @bethmerit 3 года назад +2

    It would be nice if there was a grading system on the puzzle box, ie, level, thickness of the pieces. I think the most difficult puzzles are the ones that the piece can fit in different places.

  • @jenmckitrick
    @jenmckitrick 4 года назад +5

    I did a puzzle of a book shelf that had some elements exactly duplicated in different parts of the puzzle, and it had no edge peices. It wasn't as hard as they tried to make it seem. Then I did a supposedly ordinary puzzle of a photograph of peppers, but so many of the peppers were the same color and there wasn't enough contrast, I don't think I ever finished it.

  • @jelissab
    @jelissab 4 года назад +2

    I love pomegranate puzzles!!! It is so beautifil

  • @tanderson9115
    @tanderson9115 4 месяца назад

    Never too long, very helpful. Contrast. ❤

  • @aleksandargapkovski8055
    @aleksandargapkovski8055 2 года назад

    I like the contrast in the video! 😀

  • @RonnieGreher
    @RonnieGreher 4 года назад

    A puzzle without borders! Yikes! I enjoyed the wide variety/contrast of puzzle colors, types, designs,etc that you’ve discussed here.

  • @candidulce0714
    @candidulce0714 Год назад

    I agree with those puzzles that are large expanses of the same color or texture! I've done a couple where that was the case and they took me forever to get through. I have to agree about photos. They're lovely but always have big expanses of the same color. Gotta have contrast.

  • @marigo_
    @marigo_ 4 года назад +1

    Hi Karen! I’m so glad you mentioned the “hint” puzzles. There ones where the image on the box isn’t the actual imagine of the puzzle.
    I innocently bought one puzzle from the Ravensburger Escape Puzzle 759pc collection. Witch’s Kitchen. Here’s a link www.ravensburger.org/uk/products/puzzles/adult-puzzles/escape-puzzle-759pc-witch-s-kitchen-19958/index.html
    The most difficult puzzle I’ve ever done was a 2000 piece puzzle. For me the higher the number of the pieces the more difficult the puzzle is. Maybe because I’m confound by space. I would separate the colours in bowl. But still the whole process took maybe 2 months. On and off.
    Anyways this Ravensburger puzzle is about 75% done. I feel like by tomorrow I might be done. But it’s been soooo frustrating! I had to pencils out the rows on the box to kind of see what the piece would look like but the imagine on the box isn’t even proportional. Plus, the only hints the website gives you are black and white zoom ins.
    I am SO glad you mentioned these types of puzzle as being one of the more difficult ones ♥️

  • @KathisEvoli
    @KathisEvoli 4 года назад +2

    The easiest puzzle that i did in the last years was a puzzle with cupcakes. They all look different and had a different background colour. So it was like you said, 16 little puzzle.
    One of the hardest was a puzzle with a white tiger laying in mountains by Ravensburger. (Perhaps someone knows this picture.) It was so hard because everything everything was blue or white. You didn't know if the piece belongs to a mountain or the tiger or the sky. Really annoying because there wasn't any contrast!