What makes a jigsaw puzzle easy or difficult?

[@BerniekWittendorp]

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]

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

[@mplambert33]

Berniek Wittendorp n’y e HD

[@mirabhattacharya8474]

Same

[@stephstargirl]

same! Gradient puzzles would be torture for me

[@rosemarymaluchnik9445]

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.

[@scarylion1roar]

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]

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]

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]

@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]

@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]

@Theodore Braxton happy to help :)

[@lakenziecrawford7142]

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]

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]

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!

[@sunnyscott4876]

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]

you can do it sunny

[@sunnyscott4876]

@@CherryHotSauce Thanks 😊

[@dothedo3667]

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]

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.

[@tm6945]

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

[@klaraaa688]

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

[@panzer04]

Lol

[@wkrijthe]

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]

​@@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!

[@MariaAya]

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

[@bettyhonold2842]

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

[@celinevetsch]

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! :)

[@Jayzelnut]

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 💕

[@keirashillinglaw3648]

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]

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]

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

[@erikanickel9274]

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

[@dianapenzes9055]

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 😊😊😊😊

[@soleil1953]

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

[@eleonoragiannetti3603]

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

[@gingerdoucet8162]

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]

I love puzzles!

[@karamqinnab6652]

MEEEE

[@freewoodencrosses]

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.

[@katerinachamradova5919]

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

[@Greenfly_original]

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.

[@katieboise]

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

[@lynettemb4532]

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]

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.

[@cindyderosier]

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

[@c.a.f1012]

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]

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

[@17planets89]

"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?

[@dijoemu]

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.

[@CarolynNicanderMohr]

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]

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

[@CarolynNicanderMohr]

@@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!

[@bridgetisadreamer]

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

[@janetmichel3009]

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.

[@judicrothers2542]

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

[@sarahmonster4936]

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

[@AuntGrace]

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”

[@anonymousman5441]

Hi Karen. I am a huge fan of your work. I am very into puzzles as a form of entertainment. They are also very therapeutic. I have around 45 puzzles in landscape mode as those types are my favorite.

[@earthandfire4840]

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 :)

[@miriammartin9319]

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

[@katieboise]

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

[@cathydavis210]

Nice to know you found a challenging puzzle!😀

[@mariaskoozynska3486]

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)

[@degasade]

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

[@terileighbaird8950]

“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.

[@Just.one.paige2024]

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

[@ChefsKiss-]

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” 🥰

[@sallygomez8799]

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.

[@clberka]

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. :)

[@RawringTaters]

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 ;)

[@blake_ilan]

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

[@lethiapage4767]

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

[@nancysturm9162]

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

[@scyllas214]

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.

[@ladycallieriddle]

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 🥑🤯

[@isabellerininger6249]

I never knew so much went into puzzle design! Fascinating! Thanks for the video.👍😁

[@dianapenzes9055]

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 😉

[@sj6919]

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.

[@icturner23]

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

[@mariamarchozzi850]

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

[@mupi176]

Karen, I love your videos. I’m not sure how one of your videos came up in my KZbin 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 :)

[@ikindoflikemangoes4951]

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]

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]

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

[@a-little-sunshine]

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!

[@playsfluteforfun]

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 😊

[@melissaharris7680]

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.

[@cremebearies5707]

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]

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!

[@guidotenaglia3332]

I find your videos very enjoyable, whether contrast or puzzle boxes, you always have interesting things to say. I have over 270 puzzles which I do over and over. I liked your suggestion about putting two puzzles in one box - that would save me a ton of space. Now, I have three bookcases and two wall shelves storing them. I learned something about difficulty level, too - thanks! Keep up the good work!

[@lisaeverett2116]

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 :)

[@Maggie-tr2kd]

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.

[@freewoodencrosses]

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.

[@juliakernitz]

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]

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

[@clarkkent7973]

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.

[@fergusfarm3793]

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.

[@szotyi9]

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 😀

[@alisonburgess345]

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.

[@Jennifer-cj5pd]

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.

[@candidulce0714]

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.

[@jaxita100]

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

[@camipco]

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]

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

[@mariedingus4078]

Bits and pieces looks like fun.Good Luck

[@christinahutchison3967]

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.

[@cecilia8957]

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]

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.

[@marigo_]

12:11 3 little pieces ran away

[@leanne_playz9867]

Lol

[@aleksandargapkovski8055]

I like the contrast in the video! 😀

[@kathleenemenecker7260]

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]

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.

[@PixieGirl7]

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!

[@Username-fy1vr]

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.

[@juliewilburn2942]

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 🧩🧩🧩🧩

[@galeem713]

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.

[@bethmerit]

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.

[@charnesch4274]

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!

[@jelissab]

I love pomegranate puzzles!!! It is so beautifil

[@raincloud1157]

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.

[@ΚΑΤΕΡΙΝΑΠΙΚΗ]

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

[@αναστασιασολδατου]

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

[@tanderson9115]

Never too long, very helpful. Contrast. ❤

[@cadcar13]

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! 😬

[@KarenPuzzles]

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

[@jelissab]

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]

@@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]

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]

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]

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

[@crochetingcanuck]

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.

[@petrescuework-difficultcas6581]

Yay, I waited for you to mention the Krypt

[@jsp181963]

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

[@peeyushchamaria]

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!

[@julieandrews730]

Most difficult puzzle done during the pandemic is the 1000-pc Georges Seurat painting Le Grande Jette. All pointilism texture! And lots of golds and purples. Really challenges the eyes to perceive color and texture.

[@RonnieGreher]

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

[@lethiapage4767]

For me the deal breaker on a puzzle is the shape of the pieces. Its got to be straight rows and columns of pieces so you at least know you aren't putting things together at weird angles to each other. I also have to have a bit of quality...pieces fit together correctly, don't slip apart after they are connected etc. These kind of things aren't really related to the difficulty of a puzzle per se but they are frustrating and can make me walk away. After that I don't mind difficult stuff at all. I love huge fields of single colors or gradients. I'm the kid who always liked working on the sky part. Related is like a whole field of a single texture like pool water or wall of trees, woodgrain. Mandalas are fun? My fav though...I call jumbles of ordinary objects like pasta, dice, candies etc. I actually love doing computer puzzles where the pieces are all perfectly square, usually these you swap one piece for another until you have it solved. OMG.

[@lethiapage4767]

I also don't like looking at the box very much! Lemme figure it out.

[@luluha17]

how do you solve the huge fields of single colors? I've just started doing one and the last part left was the sky, which was sooooo difficult that i ended up not finishing it :(

[@karenmaier477]

I just started doing puzzles. Picked up a 750 Thomas Kinkade one with a metallic sheen. WELL It has taken me forever just to get the edge done. AND it turned out to have the odd shaped pieces!! I may give up on this one for now. LOL

[@kellysuttle6748]

thanks !very helpful

[@Kkffoo]

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.

[@keo549]

Wasgij puzzles have been my favorite ever since I found smaller ones back during my school days. They often have a lot of different little details to make it easier to put together. And since I never really look at the box anyways, the "caveat" doesn't matter to me The only time I've looked at the box actually was now that I'm working on my 3k puzzle of the star signs. Because it has a LOT of starry/galaxy parts and darker parts, it's a bit harder to complete and since it's the size of my table I kinda wanna ensure I get connected sections, well, connected as soon as i can. I also had a 500p I bought a few days ago that was a little too detailed, making the middle pieces kinda melt together and thus take longer. It's not like I really mind tho, it's calming enough and I just like seeing my progress. If I'm lucky, my brother will let me put together a 5k he bought recently (I bought my 3k to frame it, so I picked a design I liked a lot even though it was harder)

[@WinnieFinesse]

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

[@terrizimmerman5297]

I’ve only given up on a couple puzzles in my life. One was a night scene of the Titanic with the oncoming iceberg. Its monochromatic blacks and grays caused frustration instead of putting me in a calm and happy zone. I think the least favorite puzzles for me have the weirdest shaped pieces.