Why Does My Puzzle Have Extra Pieces?

Wait a minute… you're done with the puzzle, but there are still pieces left on the table. Did you miss a section? Did the cat knock out part of the sky when you weren't looking? You double-check—nope, the puzzle is complete. So why do you have extra pieces?

Believe it or not, getting extra pieces in your puzzle is a thing! While it doesn’t happen often, it’s not unheard of—and it’s usually just a byproduct of the manufacturing process.

How Does This Happen?

Most modern cardboard puzzles are made using a process called die cutting. Think of it like a giant cookie cutter pressing down on a large sheet of puzzle board. This die (which is custom-designed to match the piece count and image) presses down and cuts all the pieces at once. Once cut, the puzzle is broken up and the pieces are packed into boxes—usually by machine, sometimes by hand, depending on the brand.

Now, here's where it gets interesting: during this sorting and packing phase, stray pieces from another puzzle—or even from the same image but a different cutting run—can sometimes sneak into the wrong box. Especially when packing lines are working quickly, it's possible for an extra piece to slip in by accident. It’s not intentional, but it can happen.

Even the Best Can Slip Up

Want proof? When I competed at the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championships, I was solving a Ravensburger puzzle—one of the most well-known and trusted brands—and ended up with FOUR extra pieces. It completely stumped me. I kept thinking I must have missed something, but the image was 100% complete. It just goes to show that even the top brands aren’t immune to the occasional hiccup.

Is It a Bonus?

Not quite. While it's fun to think of extra pieces as a bonus, they’re usually not helpful. In fact, they rarely fit your puzzle at all. The extra piece might look like it belongs—especially if it has similar colors or patterns—but when you try to place it, it just doesn’t sit right. It’s likely from a different cut of the same image or even a completely different puzzle.

This is especially common with brands that use the same image across different piece counts or sizes. For example, if a 500-piece and 1000-piece version of the same image are produced in the same facility, stray pieces can occasionally mix. Even puzzles with the same image and piece count may have slight variations in their die cuts between production runs.

Does This Mean My Puzzle is Defective?

Not at all! In fact, it’s kind of the opposite. If your puzzle is complete and you’ve got a few extras, you’ve still got a win. Most likely, those stray pieces were just hitchhikers from another box. As long as your image is complete and every piece fits snugly where it should, there's no issue with your puzzle.

What Should I Do With Extra Pieces?

That’s totally up to you! Some people keep them in a little jar as a fun collection of mystery pieces. Others donate them to crafters or upcyclers who love to use puzzle pieces for art projects. If it feels wasteful to toss them, get creative! I've seen them turned into ornaments, earrings, and even fridge magnets.

And just to clarify—no, Puzzle Warehouse didn’t sneak extra pieces into your box on purpose! We don’t open puzzles or repack them. All puzzles are sealed directly from the manufacturer, so any extras came from the source.

In Summary

Extra puzzle pieces might seem odd, but they’re just a small quirk of the puzzle-making process. They're harmless, a bit amusing, and maybe even a great conversation starter. So if you ever find yourself with one or two pieces left over—don't worry. You didn’t do anything wrong, and your puzzle isn’t broken. Sometimes puzzles just come with a little surprise!

And hey—better extra than missing, right?