How to Stay Sane While Doing a 5000 Piece Puzzle

If you're looking for a fun challenge, why not try tackling a 5000 piece puzzle? This may seem daunting at first, but with a little patience and perseverance, you'll be able to complete it in no time. If you find yourself in possession of a 5000 piece puzzle and have no idea how to even begin, never fear - we're here to help!

1. If your table is not big enough, you need a plywood sheet or similar on top of the table. A puzzle mat is pretty much necessary too unless you can keep the puzzle on the table for the next few days or even weeks.
2. If you can, find someone who has already done a 5000-piece puzzle and is willing to do it again. This is going to save you a ton of time and energy.
3. A puzzle of this scale means that going through the puzzle pieces to find something is an effort of its own. So whenever you try to find something, try at the same time to sort the pieces by color or by some other distinguishing factor.
4. Work first on the border. When you start a puzzle, it's always best to begin working on the border. This will give you a frame of reference for the rest of the pieces and make it easier to place them as you continue working. Not to mention, it's just satisfying to see the border come together piece by piece.
5. Put the pieces that have sky/clouds/water or a certain color on them in one pile or a little plastic container. This will help you narrow down the options for where each piece goes and make the process less overwhelming. You might want to consider getting some sorting trays too!
6. Work on one small section at a time. Trying to do too much at once will just frustrate you and make you want to give up. So take it slow and easy and just focus on one small area until it's done.
7. Take one of the containers with a certain color or similar at a time, and work with it. If the number of those pieces is not huge, try to organize them by their shape - they have a different number of "innies" (holes) and "outies" (knobs) on them.
8. Don't overthink it. Sometimes the best way to find which piece fits your spot is just to try some pieces until you find the right one. If you did the previous step, you might have a small number of pieces that could fit.
9. Take breaks often. This is probably the most important tip of all because if you try to do too much at once, you're going to get burnt out quickly and lose motivation to finish the puzzle. So take breaks often, maybe even after every few pieces, so that you can keep your energy up and stay focused on the task at hand.

Have a look at the timelapse video about doing a 5000-piece puzzle. It helps you to get an idea of the whole process.

So, ready for this challenge? If you think you're up to the task, click the below button to see the coolest 5000 piece jigsaw puzzles. But be warned - these puzzles are not for the faint of heart. Only the most dedicated (or maybe the most insane) puzzle enthusiasts will be able to complete them. And don't say we didn't warn you... good luck!