It may surprise you that 50% of all North Americans enjoy puzzles at least once a year. So a puzzle coffee table can be a new way to enjoy some fun. You can use this table for many purposes: display your favorite art pieces, or even put some puzzles together to make a fun game for the kids.
A puzzle table can be sturdy enough to withstand heavy use and abuse. Most of these tables come with a set of four drawers. These drawers are spacious and have plenty of space to store whatever you want. You can easily assemble these coffee tables. All you need to do is screw the legs into place and attach them to the frame.
If you are looking for something functional and beautiful in your living room, one of these tables can be the perfect piece for you. In this article, I’ll reveal all about a puzzle table you need to know. Let’s get started.
7 Amazing Benefits Of A Puzzle Coffee Table: You Should Know
Most of the puzzle coffee tables are made from wood, glass, and metal. Wood is a great material to choose from if you like the natural view of your furniture, whereas metal is a great option if you prefer a modern look. There are lots of benefits to this table. Out of these, I’m going to discuss 7 incredible advantages below:
1. Improves problem-solving ability:
We are in a certain state of thinking in our daily lives constantly. But the puzzle coffee table expands our realization. When we want to complete the table puzzles, we have to be creative. That is why we become more patient and systematic. Our perceptions may change for some time and these also can transfer issues to our work life or daily life.
Solving puzzles also helps us to be patient in solving other problems. It improves your problem-solving skills. Puzzle solutions will make you more adaptable and better at critical logic. You can try standard jigsaw puzzles in the beginning. They will be relatively easy.
2. Decreases stress:
We take various steps to relieve stress, many times we even have to go to the doctor. But you may not have thought before that a puzzle table in your living room can help you relieve stress.
Combining specific parts of a puzzle or finding the missing part will give you a better feeling. Solving puzzles is a habit that can eliminate boredom and play an important role in relieving stress.
3. Improves dexterity:
You can consider puzzle-solving as training. Many experts recommend puzzle training to enhance skills. When solving puzzles, you need to use your hands, eyes, and brain together.
This combination will help you improve your skills and help you stay healthy in other areas of life. So, practice puzzles from time to time to increase your skills.
4. Visually inspiring:
Everyone tries to present their living room as unique and try to keep some items that will enhance the beauty of the place. You too can use many such things to decorate your living room.
A puzzle coffee table can bring the desired uniqueness to your living room. As beautiful as this presence, they are unique items. These tables easily attract people of all kinds and ages through their visual inspiration.
5. Helps to connect with friends and family:
We move away from friends and family in times of need or change. So we rarely have time to concentrate on social activities. You may not have realized that puzzles can be a great social activity.
Having a coffee table puzzle set will attract many family or friends. Working together to solve puzzles can make your family or social engagement great. You can enjoy a unique time by solving puzzles with others in the family on holidays or at leisure.
6. Distracts from Screens:
At present, we rely entirely on technology. That’s why we need to look at the laptop or mobile screen most of the time. Watching TV is a part of our day. Although we require using screens for various tasks, they include a detrimental effect on our health.
A puzzle coffee table can be used as a gaming coffee table and keep us distracted from the screen or tech for a while. We, therefore, benefit indirectly from this.
7. Great for kids:
Some puzzle pictures are educational for children. They can also help you and your child connect while learning. Puzzles are a popular toy for small children. They get a lot of pleasure out of solving them, as well as increasing their skills.
Maybe the puzzles on your coffee table are mostly for adults. But the puzzles for the little ones are there to encourage your kids a lot and they will solve the puzzles with enthusiasm instead of spending boring time.
7 Best Puzzle Coffee Table Plan: Know Before Making
A DIY puzzle coffee table will give you the most pleasure if you like puzzles. You need to have a puzzle table in your living room to enjoy some quality time with your family. Daily coffee and puzzle sessions can be a great way to strengthen your brain. Below are 7 puzzle table plans for you to consider.
1. Jigsaw Puzzle Coffee Table:
It can be annoying if you lose or find pieces of the puzzle. That is why everything needs to be in one place. Here a jigsaw puzzle coffee table with drawers can eliminate many clutters. When you think of a puzzle and solve it, you will find everything at your fingertips. Everything will be tidy here, no worries.
2. DIY Puzzle Game Table:
If you need to leave the puzzle after you have solved it halfway, it will not be pleasant for you, especially if you have to shuffle it again. A puzzle game table relieves you of the hassle of moving or displaying unfinished puzzles.
You will need to place a cover over the puzzle area to create a work or dining environment on these tables. Next time when you get time again and want to solve the puzzle, just remove the cover from the top. This type of DIY puzzle table has drawers where you can place the pieces of the puzzle.
3. DIY Puzzle Board:
You can make a puzzle board according to the size of your coffee table. The advantage of this is that you can remove the board completely if necessary and use the table as a normal coffee table.
Many prefer a glass coffee table and dislike more designs or more things here. Creating a DIY puzzle board may be the best solution for them.
4. Coffee Table With Pullouts:
Puzzle lovers all know how long it takes to solve a puzzle. Maybe you want to spend some time in your garden or living room while solving puzzles. If this is what you want, a puzzle coffee table with pull outs will be ideal for you. You can easily take this type of coffee table out. So you don’t feel you’re confined to one place.
5. Wall-Mounted Puzzle Coffee Table:
If your living space is compact and yet you want to place a puzzle table there, you can choose a wall-mounted puzzle table. These tables usually have two surfaces: one is a locked surface and the other surface stays folded on the first surface.
You will use the first surface that is locked in the puzzle area. Just lower the next surface to the first surface when you need the table for work or coffee. One advantage of this table is that you never have to scatter your puzzle pieces.
6. Jigsaw Puzzle Tray:
You can create a DIY puzzle board to solve puzzles on the coffee table. This type of board usually has a rectangular board with an additional pull-out tray at each end. You will use the center tray to solve the puzzle. You can use a pull-out tray for the storage of extra pieces. These puzzle boards are light, so you can easily move them elsewhere.
7. Pallet Puzzle Table:
An affordable way to create a puzzle table is the DIY pallet puzzle table. You can make it by using wood pallets and plywood only. Both materials are inexpensive and combine to form a puzzle-like design. You can use different grain, stain, or overall style palettes. This kind of puzzle table will again bring an uncommon beauty to the living room.
10 Simple Steps To Make A Puzzle Board For A Puzzle Coffee Table:
When you use a compact type of living room, you may have trouble buying a puzzle table from the market and setting it up. You can make a puzzle board yourself that might be the best solution. Below I’ll discuss the making process of a puzzle board for a puzzle coffee table in 10 simple steps:
Step-1: Collect required tools and materials
The first step is to collect the required items. To make a puzzle board, you need to collect some tools and materials. These are:
- Tempered MDF;
- Wooden trim;
- Jigsaw;
- Nailer;
- Pine boards;
- Wood glue;
- Tape measure;
- Pencil;
- Speed square;
- Clamps;
- Miter box;
- Power drill;
- Wooden knobs;
- Handle;
- Topcoat.
Step-2: Cut MDF
You will need to cut two pieces of the MDF board for the base and top surface of the puzzle board. The size of the pieces you can make is- small, medium, or large according to your demands. For a 1500-piece puzzle, you need to cut two boards measuring 24 ″ x 32.
Step-3: Cut Center Supports And Glue With The Base
In this step, you will need to cut 2 to 3 pieces of the center support, which will be 1 inch long. You need to use a jigsaw for cutting the center support. Although track saws are more useful, collecting them may not always be possible. You need to cut the center support from a pine board in 1 ″ long strips according to the width of your board.
Align the center edge up, down, and in the center using wood glue. The interval between setting up these center supports will depend on how wide you want your drawers to be.
The center supports on the puzzle board not only connect the top and bottom of the board but also create small space for sliding drawers inside and outside the board.
Step-4: Cut The Drawer Bases
Now you need to cut the bottom part of the drawer for which you need to use tempered MDF. Cut the drawer bases according to the size of the drawer on the puzzle board.
Usually, people use one large drawer on the board, the others are small. Cut the board to the base of the drawer according to your board and your convenience.
Step-5: Clamp The Sides Of The Puzzle Drawers
You need to cut the trim carefully to the side of the drawer. You can use a jigsaw saw to cut these, but the track saw will be much more convenient. But if you want to save labor, you can buy ready-made trim.
These trims cost less, as well as you get a cleaner finish. However, all the side trims needed for the drawer are better if they are 5/8″ thick and 3/8″ wide.
You can use butt joints instead of cutting the edges of the trims 45-degrees. Remember, the butt joint needs to be shortened a bit to fit properly. You can use a meter box to make metered angles. Glue and clamp after cutting the trims according to the number of drawers you want to make.
Step-6: Nail The Slides With the Base Of The Drawer
Attach the frames to the base to complete the drawers. First, attach the frame to the base using glue. Then tighten with a small nail using a hammer. When nailing, be careful that it fits snugly into the frame.
Step-7: Attach Drawer Knobs
You will need to make holes in the front to fit the drawer knobs. A power drill can help you to make holes for drawer knobs. Be careful when making holes, as excessive pressure can damage the drawer and even break it. Use a screwdriver to tighten the knobs on the puzzle board.
Step-8: Add Stopping Blocks
Be sure to add stopping blocks so the drawers do not move inside the board. You can use a piece of MDF as a stopping block. These don’t need to be too thick, just thick enough to hold the drawers.
It is better to use wood glue to attach the stopping block. Make sure the block is equal to the drawers. However, the use of dense blocks prevents the drawers from sliding over the stop.
Step-9: Attach The MDF With The Puzzle Board
At this stage, you may notice that you have created the inside of the puzzle board. Now you need to attach the MDF top to the board. Apply glue to the wooden supports you used.
Place the MDF accurately with the board and arrange the edges as best as possible. Secure the puzzle board using clamps, and remove any excess glue. Once the glue is dry, secure it with nails.
Step-10: Glue Border Trim
You need to use side trim on the board to prevent the puzzles from falling. Use 45-degree angle trimmed border trims. You can easily glue them to the board. With the trimming of these borders, you have completed the entire process of creating your puzzle board.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What Is The Measurement Of A Standard Puzzle Coffee Table?
A puzzle coffee table can be of different sizes. The size of the table will depend on the size of your room when you make your puzzle table. However, three types of measurements you can observe in the puzzle tables that are available in the market: small, medium, and large.
If you want to make a small table to match 1000 pitch puzzles, the standard measure would be 20″ x 28″. A medium-sized puzzle table with 1500 pitch puzzles can measure 24″ x 32″. Similarly, a large-sized puzzle table where you want to match 2000 pieces of puzzles will have a size of 27″ x 39″.
Does The Use Of The Puzzle Coffee Table Increase IQ?
There is no special study that proves a puzzle coffee table increases your IQ. However, there are many reasons in the puzzle table that will help increase your IQ score. A study was conducted at the University of Michigan on the subject. According to the report, if you puzzle for at least 25 minutes every day, your IQ score can increase by 4 points.
In addition, using a puzzle coffee table increases your memory, skills, and sharpness of vision. All these factors of a puzzle table help increase your IQ. So I can say for sure that the use of a puzzle table will increase your IQ score.
Which Is Better For A Puzzle Coffee Table? Mat VS Board
A puzzle board would be more convenient than a mat. Puzzle boards are a lot more self-contained. You can store puzzle pieces in a board drawer and are less likely to get lost. But a puzzle mat doesn’t have these benefits.
As well as making a puzzle board, you need to collect some equipment and there can be some trouble. Conversely, you can collect a puzzle mat easily. Both the mat and the board include some advantages and disadvantages. But a puzzle board brings more benefits than a mat.
How Much Does It Cost To Make A Puzzle Coffee Table?
The cost of making a puzzle coffee table depends on many factors. The materials and even the size of the table affect the price. But to make a standard medium-sized puzzle coffee table, you need to spend at least $50.
If you do not want to make a puzzle table, you can buy a table directly. There are some excellent tables available for $80 to $200. You can also check these before making your table.
How Long Does A Puzzle Coffee Table Last?
A standard puzzle coffee table can last a long time, even 15 to 20 years. Notable here is the amount of use and maintenance. Excessive use can damage anything quickly. Moderate use and proper maintenance can help a product last longer.
If you make your coffee table, try to use high-quality materials. When buying from the market, you need to be sure about the table material and build quality. You should be careful during use and ensure proper maintenance.
Final Verdict:
Placing a puzzle coffee table in your living room can be a blessing for you. It can make your room unique, relieve your stress, and be a means to enjoy quality time with family. There are also many more benefits to a puzzle table.
I have discussed the advantages of such a coffee table here. Everybody wants to add something unique to their living room. You can add a puzzle table. This will benefit you in many ways. Hope this article helps you a lot.