Am I my Puzzles Keeper?

I  have a dear friend and co-worker that had an unfortunate incident this past month. She had a stroke. 
 


She didn't have the classic signs that normally accompany a stroke so it was hard to diagnose. 

She is home now and doing well. They aren't sure how much damage is done. She has a slight slur and tremors in one hand. She is doing remarkable considering.

We went to visit her on Sunday as she is also a neighbor and a member of our congregation. She is a bit like me in that she likes having something to do. I suggested that they do puzzles. It is a mindless activity but keeps you busy.

Because she has grandchildren that visit often, I mentioned having seen a puzzle keeper that helps you have a puzzle going on a table but when you want to put it up, you roll it and then can move it and put it somewhere else for later. 

I noticed they had a Thomas Kinkade puzzle that she had mounted and framed on her wall. It was a 3000 piece puzzle so I thought to myself that I would find her a Kinkade puzzle and get her a puzzle keeper. 

I checked our local stores but all I could find was a "Stow and Go" one that inflates. I wondered to myself, "What happens when the air leaks out?" 

I bought a puzzle keeper for Prince number one last Christmas as he loves puzzles. When I couldn't find one today in our small town, I went to the carpet store and asked if I could get a small piece of a carpet roll center. They cut some off and gave it to me. 

I had enough to make two puzzle keepers. I had enough felt that I purchased for $1 at a second hand store to make two keepers that would hold up to a 1,500 piece puzzles. I cut the felt to the size of our coffee table that we use to do puzzles. Basically, it was about half the width of the felt. Depending on the size of felt available, you can make it bigger or smaller. 


I also had some elastic so the entire project cost less than $1 as I made two of them. 

I ironed the felt after cutting it so it would lay flat for the puzzle to lay on. I measured the elastic to the carpet roll and stitched it. The actual puzzle keeper I bought had 2 elastics. I made three per roll. 

Princess two and I worked and got about 1/3 of the puzzle done. I then rolled it up and then rolled it out again, I had an inspirational moment. I think if I make another or even with the one I have, I will sew velcro on it so that the entire length of the felt will stick to itself when rolled and no pieces will fall out or get loose. 

Also, I think I will stick velcro stickies to the cardboard carpet roll so when I start rolling, the velcro will hold the felt to the roll, making for a tighter roll. 

I show pictures of me laying it out, doing the puzzle on it, rolling it with the puzzle on it, showing it rolled with the elastics on it and how you can see the puzzle through the gaps etc. Then, you can see me unroll it and I was amazed at how well it stayed intact considering most of the puzzle wasn't done, the pieces were just laid out loose. It only flipped a few over as you can see and about 8 fell out the sides as I had lots of loose pieces near the edge. I wanted to give it a good test. If I hadn't had pieces so near each edge, it would have worked fine.

I was VERY impressed with it other than the suggestions that I make about the velcro on the center roll and opposite edge. 

I think I may start making these for wedding gifts and giving them a puzzle to do as well. I can get new unopened puzzles at the second hand store quite often for about $2. I can make the "Puzzle Keepers" for about $1-$4 depending on the fabric cost. Not bad for a gift. Some of our families best conversations happen over puzzles. 

I dropped off the Thomas Kinkade puzzle and the puzzle keeper to her this evening. She looked better today and looked as if she may even want to start the puzzle. I hope she recovers fast. It seems when I think that I am doing something nice for someone else, in the end, I always end up learning or getting something for myself. It is hard to do service and not end up blessed myself in some way. Today, I learned to make something new. It was a good day. 

You can see in the pictures how we organize our puzzles. Edges, then colors etc. Here is a link to a post about that. 

I guess I am my puzzles keeper after all!