This vintage Christmas tree puzzle almost defeated me.
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- Опубликовано: 16 дек 2023
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The puzzle is called Around the Christmas Tree and it was released in 1997 by Bits and Pieces.
Get the supplies I used in this video:
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Mod Podge puzzle glue:
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I used one entire 4 fl oz bottle on this puzzle.
Foam brushes:
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Timer:
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Small scissors:
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Poster frames (I used the plastic inside):
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Parchment paper (if you don’t want to use hard plastic):
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Packing tape:
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Learn how to tape a jigsaw puzzle:
What I did with my 24,000 piece puzzle after I finished it
• What I did with my 24,...
Watch all of my Christmas Specials in this playlist:
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Watch my DIY video about making a Cardboard Christmas Tree:
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Today’s puzzle is sponsored by Factor.
hi karen um. suggestion, if in future videos, theres sounds similar to the glue or like. any asmr type sounds, could you put a warning please ? i have misophonia and it nearly sent me flying into the core of the earth to burn away when i heard the glue sounds 😟😟
@@necr0marker I know what you mean. This particular one didn't bother me but most sounds do. People do not understand us. Everyone seems to love crickets, and cicadas don't bother them at all. Do you, too, live your life in ear plugs and headphones? God bless you. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. SILENT Night.
@@missjoshemmett fair enough, i did mute the video but the sound at the start of the gluing had already made me panic really badly. i dont have it the best but like. i dunno im just looking out for my people out there ‼️‼️😭😭 merry christmas and silent night to u too
I luv the sound of glue! There are so many different joys and aversions when it comes to ASMR. I even tried to use my creaking rocking chair as a musical instrument! Luv hearing thick soup being poured, feeling meatfoaf through my fingers when mixing the eggs in, picking nailpolish off, and more. My joy could be your horror. Sorry not sorry. That’s life!
That's one sparse spruce!
You know that when they had to use a foam mockup instead of the actual puzzle on the boxtop that you're in for a time in assembly XD
I need to know if they ever tried making the real one before they were mass produced.
I doubt they tried their own puzzle - too many clues that the company slapped this together to make a quick buck.
Good point,
The obvious conclusion of this video is that the next @@KarenPuzzlespuzzle should be 3D. ❤🧩🙏🏾☺️
They probably wanted to do foam, but the cost was prohibitive so they did cardboard and glue instead.
When my momma had breast cancer, she would assemble jigsaw puzzles. Daddy would glue and frame them after they were completed. She went to her heavenly home 4 1/2 years ago. We have her puzzles hanging in our homes. ❤️🥰
1997 being "almost 20 years ago...no wait" is such a mood
26 years actually
I was thinking at the beginning "1997 doesn't seem like vintage" then I looked up the definition of vintage, and it's 20 to 99 years old (beyond that is antique). Seems like a big range to me, but hey, I guess it's probably a generational thing? Something vintage was probably used by the last few generations, antique means there's probably no one alive who used it new? Sure, sounds good to me.
@@pelahnar4 I wonder if it has to do with our lifespans. If something is vintage, then the generation that was around when it was new is likely still alive, where as antiques are from generations that have likely passed away.
A depressing mood lol
Hi Karen, I have a puzzle bathroom. I have taken many of my puzzles, glued them and then glued the puzzles to my small bathroom walls, ceiling and door. All different sizes, a tiny piece puzzle and above the light, a glow in the dark horoscope puzzle. All in all, around 35 puzzles and more yet to come so to finish the bathroom. Crazy but unique and fun😊.
Cheers, Lorri
That sounds fun!
I think for the plastic connectors, back in 1997 the material might have been a bit more flexible still so it would bend slightly to allow for an easier assembly. But over the years the plastic got stiffer and brittle resulting in the pain you had putting it together.
I agree, I wonder if she used a hair dryer to warm them up a bit they might have been a bit more pliable.
You made it look sooo much better against the wall with the actual ornaments added! It's a shame it doesn't fit back in the original box, seems like it would be a nice display to bring out each year :)
I might try to cut through the glue and break each section in half just so I can stack them up in the box. I don't know where else to put them 🙈
@@KarenPuzzles Won’t it lay flat? Put the ornament pieces in the box to store
@@KarenPuzzlesIt needs a bigger box. For instance, one of the big boxes you receive puzzles in. That way you can keep it year after year.
@@KarenPuzzleslol...right!?!
@@KarenPuzzles No don't do that! You'll ruin it! Get a cardboard box and store it flat with all your odds and ends peices in a baggie you can just staple to the box and you can store it flat.
I believe this will be my last video of the year...unless I get really bored over Christmas break. But stay tuned because I have tons of fun videos coming up next year! In the meantime, if you want more puzzle videos while I'm away, I have tons of exclusive videos up now on Patreon: patreon.com/karenpuzzles
Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! Gift yourself with a lot of puzzling without video editing ;)
Have a lovely break. You’ve had a busy year. Thanks for all the videos
Happy Holidays, Karen!
I lived with my grandma for a few months and we did a puzzle of Yankee Stadium together, because she was from NY and a Yankees fan. Afterwards I glued it and commissioned a custom frame. It hung in her living room for a few years and now that she's passed it hangs at my house. I'm super happy I glued it!
I love that! Having a story behind it is a great reason to glue a puzzle!
That makes sence as it's like a memory of you two together.
I enjoyed the random puzzle gluing and peeling ASMR component of this video more than I thought I would. 😂
The asmr was not real she just added nose over it or there would be tons of different noises not the same one over and over
Turn it over between coats so glue will be able to be get in between pieces.
My cat was surprisingly interested in your video, Karen. The best part for her was you glueing the puzzle. I guess the black brush going back and forth mesmerized her. She is giving you a “two paws up” 🐈⬛ Your finished tree actually looks pretty good.
I love the Ravensburger puzzle glue. Its easy to apply, completely invisible and if you really want to, you can still break the pieces apart afterwards without destroying anything.
I never would have thought this is how to glue a puzzle. I would have sat there taking apart and gluing the edge of each piece individually lmao
I used to glue all my puzzles. I liked looking at the art all put together. But after seeing your taping trick, I’ve started doing that and storing the puzzles back in their boxes, which is so much more convenient. It’s easier to stack boxes than different sized glued puzzles.
Hi Karen, I've never glued a puzzle and gave myself the giggles when you started to glue this one. For some reason I thought you would have to glue all the edges of each individual piece and put them back together one piece to another. Basically redo the whole puzzle but with edges glued to stick them together!!! Still laughing at my silliness 😂😂😂
omg noooo
You are not the only one 😂
yep, that's what i thought too 😂
Wow that would take forever!
I thought that too, haha
If you still want to use the plastic brackets, try soaking them in hot water until they are pliable, get them to the desired size, then toss them in some icy water to set. Might be a bit looser of a fit but a lot easier to slide onto the glued puzzle pieces. Ornaments I’d try a little bit of sticky tack in the gap. A shame it wasn’t on foam like the old puzzle 3d series
I wish I had thought of that while filming!
Very good tip! In addition, you can use a knitting pin tip widen ever so slightly, and when you have a bit of the puzzle in, you can take the pin out.
I have one framed puzzle on display, but I just put it in the frame without gluing/taping it together so that if I ever want to redo it or swap the display puzzle for a different one I can do that with ease. If I wanted to display an unframed puzzle, I'd probably tape it up, but framing display puzzles without any adhesive gives me the best of both worlds, easy repuzzleability as well as beautiful display piece.
I think puzzle glue has less water in it or something to make sure pieces don’t warp. I love glueing my puzzles to hang and Elmer’s will mess up a puzzle fast
What a heroic effort! Karen is hugely dedicated to her puzzling hobby, to making quality videos, and keeping promises to her audience. I applaud her ingenuity and fortitude. Way to go, Karen!!
Years ago I managed an apartment complex for elderly/disabled people. Had a community room and residents would put puzzles together. I would then glue, frame, and hang the puzzle in the room. It gave residents something to do and showed off their work.
If you view it like a craft kit rather than a puzzle then glueing it together feels a little less painful, though I do agree they should have made it out of thicker material so glueing wasn't necessary
When you were gluing the puzzle together I was totally like "wait, that won't fit back in the box now!" That assembled tree would be SUCH a pain to store. That would be another benefit of a foam puzzle, since it wouldn't need gluing you could just put it back in the box. The designers really didn't think this through well lol. I don't glue puzzles because I feel like that defeats the purpose of a puzzle and ruins it because it can't be done again (another benefit of making this tree out of foam!). Additionally if you are going to hang it, it looks best with a frame which costs more money. And I just don't like how puzzles look hung on a wall. I did it once and regretted it.
And you could do the foam puzzle each year every Christmas, that would have been such a nice and fun idea.
That's exactly how I feel about gluing puzzles!
Omg I love this background!
Thank you! I spent a lot of time moving things around to set it up.
I don't think I'd ever glue a puzzle, just cuz I have a limited supply of them and don't really want to clutter my house with more...but watching you do it _was_ super satisfying
I used to glue ALL puzzles I assembled AND put them in frames because my parents told me it is done that way and I was too dumb to disagree. Now, thanks to your videos, I figured out you don;t need to do that 😅 So no, I do not glue my puzzles any more.
That's kind of funny. Honestly you can do whatever you want with your puzzle, just use the imagination.
I glue puzzles that I’m attached to, because I like to frame the artwork and display it. But there are puzzles that I will finish and pack away, and just hand off to my MIL because I’m not going to do them again.
@@lord0jackostar LOL, most of the puzzles I really like I want to put them together again! So I don't glue them.
@@collette2908 yeah, my space for jigsaw building is very limited and usually taken from something else. So I don’t have much room, and I tend to get fairly frustrated with the puzzles while I do them. So while I love most of the jigsaws I do, if I really like the final image, I don’t break it apart again because I won’t make it twice.
Love what you did with the bookshelf for some Christmas feeling ☺️☺️
My brain seriously skipped over the entire background so I had to go back in the video to look at it again when I saw your comment 😂 Thanks for mentioning it, it's so cute!! 🎄🦌💚
22:09 actually looks like such a beautiful piece of art. Like an ornamental panel which mixes a more contemporary, abstract depiction of a tree with a retro, late 90s illustration.
I wish I could use that as a holiday decoration at home. It’s so unique!
The background is so cute!!
I like gluing and framing puzzles, and I usually buy them with that specific purpose in mind, choosing pictures I would otherwise still have used as decorations for my house. I particularly love solving puzzles with my mom, and she loves nature landscapes, cozy cottages with gardens, etc, so I find puzzles with those images and when they are done she hangs them in her house =)
However since I started watching your channel I've given it a try to buy puzzles just for the sake of enjoying assembling them, and I'm enjoying that a lot too 😊
For the ornaments that didn't fit, try putting a bit of glue in the bracket. Enough so it sticks but also not so much that you can't take it apart afterwards.
God bless you for sticking with this puzzle. I think if I had done it, it would have ended up in the trash. Putting up against the wall and extra touches really did make a difference, well done. Hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year you certainly have earned it!
hi karen! me and my friends love your videos so much!! you inspired us to start our own university puzzle club ❤❤❤
I did this two Christmas’s ago. I used my own glue and glued everything together and used it as a Christmas decoration but yeah, the labor was ridiculous and it is definitely 2-D. Lol
Years ago I vaguely remember being in a room where they had glued jigsaw puzzles together and used them as “wallpaper” for a full wall. I thought that was interesting, but never tried it myself.
Before I started puzzling I didn't understand why people don't glue their puzzles (like finished picture is final goal, right 😅)
But now, I have puzzles that I really like, and i want to do them again and again!😂
So no glue for me either!
Picking up glued pazzle sounded so satisfying tho!
This feels like if your crafting/ diy channel and your puzzle channel had a baby. Great video as always!
I don't like to glue my puzzles. I enjoy doing them multiple times and have discovered several brands that are new to me, thanks to Karen and her awesome channel! Happy holidays and happy puzzling. 🧩 💜
They should have included an oversized envelope for the puzzle! It could be folded initially and you just unfold it. Also a great place to put their brand name and promotional info, or a cute holiday-themed illustration.
Your bookcase looks so pretty all decorated for Christmas!
I like your sweater! I need to get more Christmas/winter-y sweaters.
Never glue mine but was gifted a custom Ravensburger one of a photo from my wedding that a may glue and frame! 😊 have a lovely break, Karen and thank you for a great year of amazing content!
My family used to glue all the puzzles we did when we were younger and hung them up in our basement. In the early 2000s we got a White Christmas puzzle, which was the first puzzle we would do each year and then take it apart to do the next year. Now we glue puzzles that we do not want to do again, like the Wicked poster (so much black! ) and this artistic princess puzzle (so many false fits). So I guess we glue about half of the puzzles we do. We also own two wood puzzles so those don't get glued either.
I never glue my puzzles because I trade them back and forth with my friend and my mother-in-law. It really stretches the puzzle budget for everyone.
Love that!
This was strangely nostalgic, we didn't have this puzzle, but that style of illustration and utter jankiness is what 90s childhood Christmases were all about. So much strategic tape and glue, and the disappointment of the box lies.
Seems like this was very frustrating for you but it was very cozy and satisfying to watch. I really loved this project!
I love taping/gluing puzzles and displaying them as artwork in my room. Been doing it my whole life! When I worked in an office and had a personal 'cubicle' space, my walls were covered in completed puzzles. When COVID hit and we were moved to working from home, I was like "what am I going to do with all these puzzles?!" Lol
Smart to keep those bags seperate!
I am working on a sky with a bunch of false fits so this holiday special is exactly what I needed to bolster me through as I worked. Enjoy your time off Karen and have a very happy birthday! 🎉
I think you could possibly wedge the loose ornaments deeper into the boughs of the tree (rather than just the tips), so the top is slotted into the upper branch and the bottom is supported by the lower branch. Also, soaking the connector pieces in hot water might rejuvenate them to some extent.
This was without a doubt my favorite one of your videos ever! I laughed during it, had great empathy for your struggles, loved the way you styled it at the end…have a well deserved break!
The assembly might've been terrible, but the end result is lovely, especially with the real ornaments as decorations.
Honestly this vid had everything! Missing Pieces, Glue-goopiness, ASMR, Craft Drama. 11/10 thoroughly enjoyed. Sorry it was so stressful for you.
When I was a kid, I had a few puzzles that came with glue, but I've never glued any, I loved doing them over and over again, especially on rainy days.
I like the way the puzzle looked when it was on your table. It wasn't supposed to look like a full (real) tree IMO. It has a vintage Christmas ephemera look which I think has it's own charm. To answer your questions, I never glue but I also never do a puzzle more than once.
My mamaw taught me that you only glue the puzzles you really love and want to display. and she taught me about the sticker like paper that's amazing for saving puzzles. No mess, no dry time, and noting to affect the beautiful ilisstrations on them. But they only work for single sided puzzles. She said if you have to use the glue make sure you fill every little crack between the pieces, she said it bonds them together better.
Aw it became so fun and festive with real baubles
Happy holidays Karen! Thank you for making so many fun puzzle videos for us this year. I am an OG who subscribed for your crafts, but now I'm a convert and enjoy watching you put together puzzles even more (although it was nice to see a throwback craft of your old x-mas tree in this video!). All the best for a happy new year, and a great 2024!
Styling it the way you did makes it look really cute! Would have been nice if the ornaments didn't have notches but rather holes to loop ribbon through & then just gentle dips in the branches to loop the ornaments onto. Would be cool if the ornaments were also "3d". I actually own some laser cut acrylic ornaments like that & they're really cool. They spin and twist when the fan is going.
I haven't glued a puzzle yet, but I would. I actually have a few puzzles where I wanted the artwork & it was cheaper to buy a puzzle than a print. When I do those, I'll glue them & have them framed.
I have never glued a puzzle or worked a puzzle twice - one and done. Right now I’m pulling my hair out over vangoh starry starry night but I’m going to persevere!!!
When it’s a puzzle that’s got a cool image and also is something like a mystery game I glue it every time. For normal puzzles sometimes I get one specifically to hang up like art. Other wise they just go back in the box to put together again
8:05 - Interesting clear plastic background! That spooky reflection of the camera!
Thanks for all the fun this year, Merry Christmas and I hope Santa brings ALOT of puzzles ❤
Thank you for all the fun puzzling you've shared with us. Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, Happy Puzzling!
Thank you for the wonderful videos of 2023!
I really enjoyed this one, neurogenic music, background , funny to watch! I never glued a puzzle, I have not yet had the need. Taped some.
Merry Christmas and a happy new year!
Happy Holidays, Karen! Thank you for the puzzle joy you’ve brought us all year!
Maybe your third puzzle collab should be a foam Christmas tree puzzle with unique ornaments all the way around that we could assemble every holiday season... Pretty please???
The day the new Bits & Pieces catalogue came was my absolute favourite of the month (two months?) when I was a teenager in the 90s
I've never glued my puzzles 🎄 Your frustration mirrors mine with every "easy" craft project I've tried, but I love what you've done with the styling ❤✨️
Mod Podge matte is ideal for gluing puzzles
17:52 it’s giving ✨Harry putting his wand up the trolls nose in HP and the sorcerers stone✨
Happy holidays, Karen. I discovered your videos this year, and it made my year much better.
I don’t tend to glue my puzzles together, however I bought 3 puzzles by the same artist with the intent to glue and frame them as a triptych of sorts because I couldn’t decide on any art!! That’s the only time I’ve glued puzzles.
Super cute and festive -- I love it! Merry Christmas Karen! All the best of the holiday season to you and your loved ones!
I don't glue my puzzles now, but when I get my house, I'll be gluing a few to hang in my laundry room and she shed. I think it will be nice to have that art on the walls there.
I love watching your videos when I'm not feeling well. Thank you for taking the time to create videos on this platform
I actually really like how you put it against a flat surface. I would glue this puzzle and use it every year like that and store it with the rest of my Christmas decorations. I’ve never glued a puzzle but I would for this one. Happy Holidays
I've never had good luck with using the puzzle glue. There's always a funky brushstroke or it stays sticky/tacky forever. The end result with it against the wall looked really great!
Same, after the first few times I switched to rubber cement. Wouldn't work with a double sided puzzle but works really well on flat puzzles. It peels up fine and doesn't mess with the picture but the back always gets a bit gummy and I typically press poster board to the back to reinforce. Scrappers work better for pushing your adhesive around. No funky brush strokes.
Who everyone who likes to glue their puzzles: Use wallpaper paste, I'm pretty sure it's almost the exact same thing they sell you as overpriced "puzzle glue". I got 500g pulver for 2 something from the store and you only mix a tiny amount with water, so you will basically never run out of it. It's made for papery material and doesn't leave strokes and you can control the thickness yourself (by adding more or less water)
Ty for the tips!@@Jenny-sq2pr
Ty! I never thought about wallpaper paste.@@Plentiy
I'm glad I found your channel this year! Because of you I have new hobby that I really enjoy!
You did a lot this year! Thank you!
Merry Christmas and happy new year!
Merry Christmas Karen and all you puzzlers out there!
Honestly, despite all the problems the puzzle had, it's a very beautiful piece put completely together and would make a great display piece
My child’s pediatrician’s office had several very nicely framed puzzles in all of the rooms. It really added to the fun of the office. I don’t believe that they were glued. They were all under glass. But I don’t glue my puzzles since I do them over and over and also trade them with friends. (Of course my oldest child had stolen one piece out of every puzzle and game that we have; which I found in a secret box when we moved.)
Thanks for soldiering through for us Karen! This puzzle would have made me throw it across the room...
I’ve been watching your channel for the past 3 years. You’ve come a long way and I’m glad you’re keeping this channel going. Looking forward to seeing which giant puzzle you do this year! 🎉
I live in an apartment so I have never glued a puzzle as there is a space issue for me. But also I enjoy putting together favorite puzzles again and again. If I dont enjoy a puzzle or it's too difficult, I like being able to donate it or gifting it to another person who also enjoys puzzles.
I have never glued a puzzle, and I can't imagine ever gluing one. My fun is putting it together and then passing it on for someone else to do it. I also do too many puzzles to even consider starting to keep them and display them.
I have glued 2 one thousand piece puzzles. Both of them were Christmas puzzles, so they are on the walls at Christmas. I also glued a Halloween 1000 piece together. I did it the same way you did and they all turned out great. I put all 3 in frames. Love your videos!
i glue all my puzzles together, i want to have a wall of puzzles if done as a art display lol
i usually do the puzzle a few times and when i feel like i've had enough fun with it, then i glue it together and will have it hung for a while. until another one comes along to replace it. I haven't done a puzzle by myself since i moved cities, but when i go to visit my friends from college we usually have some drinks while solving a puzzle.
watching your videos sort of scratches that itch for me.
thank you, and happy holidays. see you next year :)
Thank you for all your puzzle videos this year. I really enjoy watching them. Also I am glad that I waited until you finished working and gluing the Christmas tree puzzle. I also most ordered it. I glued a lot of puzzles together for my children and hung them in their bedrooms. It is rare for me to do a puzzle twice so either way it doesn't matter to me. A group of us finished a round Pi number puzzle and glued it together so that no one else had to suffer putting it together again. LOL
Thank you for all the wonderful videos this year. I hope you have a lovely Christmas ❤ 🎄
Kudos to you, Karen for sticking to it, so to speak. You have more patience than I would. You made it look better in the end.
I don't glue puzzles; put them together, keep them out for a few days to enjoy them and then put them back in the box and donate them. I do have a couple of the Charley Harper image puzzles that I might eventually glue or tape together. I also have a 2000 pc jungle scene puzzle that took months to do. I'm hanging onto it for a while but may sell it at some point.
Safe travels, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.
I have glued a few puzzles together because I enjoy the finished picture. Some I keep as puzzles.
Happy holidays and have a restful break! 😊🎄❄️
I admire your dedication . You took a sad puzzle and made it better !
I have glued many of my puzzles, one of them I have framed hanging on my wall, some I do not glue, I just break up and put back in the box!
Have a lovely Christmas and happy new year ♥️
In my many years of puzzling, I have never glued or taped a puzzle. Although, I was tempted to glue one puzzle I finished a few months ago. It was so pretty, but alas, I did not.
Here is a suggestion to hang the glued ornaments that won't stay in place. Use small, green paper clips and connect two together. Clip one paper clip to the ornaments and clip the second on the tree so the ornaments hang from the tree.
Thank you for another great video and for sharing your vintage puzzles.
I like to keep my puzzles assembled and even mounted in a picture frame on the wall for a while to gawk at my accomplishment, but I never glue them together. It seems like such a waste to me, for you can never do them again. I'm always thinking even if I don't ever want to puzzle them again, maybe someone else would want to or I might want to exchange puzzles with someone.
Enjoy your Christmas-break, Karen! Merry Christmas to you and yours!
I love LOVE the Christmas background you have there!
I’ve only ever glued one puzzle - one we made for my mom with family photos. It’s framed in the hallway now!
Happy Holidays Karen!! Enjoy your break from making videos. The DIY part of putting the puzzle against the wall and adding ornaments made it look a lot better. I agree it would have better if it was made out of foam. BTW I like the colored background on the book (puzzle) shelves.
I've always picked puzzles with the purpose of display on the wall,so the ones that are not displayed, I'm able to put in a portfolio bag for safe keeping. Keep up the great work Karen, I 've picked up some great tips from the past couple of years