Puzzle Advent Calendar Hacks

If you’ve ever done a Puzzle Advent Calendar, then you know how easy it is to get hooked on them!

Advent Calendar Funny Animals | Eurographics | 24 days, 50 pieces ea day

This Puzzle Advent Calendar from Eurographics has resealable bags and the daily puzzle image is at the back of each box!

With so many cute and affordable Puzzle Advent Calendars, some puzzlers work on 4-5 different Puzzle Advent Calendars every December!

Puzzle Advent Calendar Christmas Town | Eurographics | 24 days, 50 pieces ea day

Christmas Cheer Advent Calendar | Vermont Christmas Co | 1000 pieces in 24 boxes

However, after a few days of opening adorable little boxes and completing the puzzles nestled within, you may suddenly realize that there are little puzzles covering every available surface of your living area! What to do?!

Last year I figured out a hack to bring the Puzzle Advent Calendar chaos under control. After all, we can’t put away the individual advent puzzles until we take a compilation photo of all 24 completed puzzles!

Here’s the hack:

First, get a box of at least 24 file folders or hanging folders. Hanging folders offer extra stability because of the rigid bar at the top, but regular file folders will work too. If you get a box with assorted colors, it makes it more fun!.

folders

Second, when you complete an advent puzzle, slide it onto a file folder.

puzzle with folder

Third, stack the file folders on top of each other as you complete each day’s puzzle.

puzzles in folders in tray

Fourth, as you stack the folders, alternate the orientation so that the stack stays in balance.

balancing folders

Fifth, decide where to keep your stack. I stacked mine on a large cookie sheet. The folders and puzzles did fit back in the original box, but it overflowed the top.

finished pile

I managed to get the lid to fit, but just barely!

all in the box

Sixth, after the 24th puzzle is complete, you will have all the Advent Calendar Puzzles stacked in one place, and you can take a picture of the whole set whenever you’d like.