Three different puzzles laid out in pieces on a table.

Piece it All Together with Marine Debris Art Calendar Jigsaw Puzzles

When you find a calendar you really love, like the annual NOAA Marine Debris Calendar, it can be hard to take it down when the year is over - Especially when the artwork was created by inspiring and thoughtful students from across the country! So, if you have any old calendars (or other artwork you want to save but aren't sure how), and any cardboard cereal boxes, you can turn those materials into a fun and lasting treasure: A jigsaw puzzle! 

Supplies: 

  • Cereal box
  • Old calendar pages or other artwork
  • Jigsaw puzzle template (I did a quick search for "jigsaw puzzle template" and picked one I thought would be a good size and shape to fit the artwork)
  • Clear finishing glue
  • Paintbrush or foam brush
  • Scissors (safety scissors should work for this project, but remember to exercise caution if you are using sharp scissors like mine)
  • Pen or pencil
Supplies for the craft laid out on a table.
Get your supplies together! Since you'll be working with gloopy glue, be sure to lay down a towel or cloth to protect surfaces (Credit: NOAA).

Steps: 

  1. Lay out your cereal box and find a good placement for your artwork. I found that I could fit three pieces on this large box!
  2. Use your clear finishing glue to glue the artwork onto the colorful side of the cereal box.
Visual of steps 1 and 2.
Step 1: Lay out the artwork on the colorful side of your cereal box. Step 2: Paste the artwork onto the cereal box. (Credit: NOAA).

Note: You can also modify that step and make a "double sided" puzzle, either with another piece of artwork glued on the plain side, or glue on the plain side (Side A) and use the colorful cereal box side (Side B) for an extra puzzle! This is especially helpful if you (like me) sometimes accidentally glue to the wrong side!

Artwork being laid out on the plain side of a cereal box.
Turn mistakes into extra puzzles! While you should glue artwork on the colorful side of the box, you can still make it work (Credit: NOAA).
  1. Once the glue is dry, flip the box over so the plain side faces up. Trace the jigsaw puzzle template pieces, being sure to trace over the back of the artwork.
  2. Cut out your jigsaw pieces!
Visual of steps 3 and 4.
Step 3: Trace the jigsaw template on the plain side of your cereal box. Step 4: Cut out the jigsaw pieces. (Credit: NOAA).

This is a great activity to celebrate the end of the school year, fill an arts and crafts day, or take on the road! I made a few puzzles and packed them into a repurposed plastic berry container to make them convenient to grab and go.

Puzzle pieces packed in a clear plastic box.
Take your puzzles on the go by repurposing plastic containers for boxes! (Credit: NOAA).
A piece of calendar artwork repurposed as a puzzle.
The only missing piece here is a clean sea free of marine debris! (Photo: NOAA, Artwork by K'Moya S., Grade 3, U.S. Virgin Islands).
 
Last updated Thu, 08/15/2024 - 12:48 pm EDT