Halloween Jigsaw puzzles | The Ultimate guide to puzzling at Halloween time

Finding the right Halloween Jigsaw Puzzle

Let us begin with the picture of the puzzle itself, without stating the obvious, a Halloween or horror themed image is most ideal, one that is creepy but mysterious to entice you into another world. This is exactly what we set out to achieve with The Witches Lair. Whether it’s Pennywinks or another brand, finding a relevant image for your Halloween jigsaw puzzle is a good starting point.

The Witches Lair | 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle

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A spooktacular Halloween themed jigsaw puzzle

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Lights out! Well Not exactly..(ever tried puzzling in the dark!?)

Lightning is a crucial attribute in creating any mood but a tricky one in the instance of doing a jigsaw! Puzzling in the dark would not only be impossible, but frustrating, unless the image glowed in the dark! The solution? Choose a lamp with a flexible arm to focus light solely on your Halloween jigsaw puzzle, leaving the rest of the room in darkness with a few candles scattered around in safe places. Many LED lights come in a range of colours these days, warm light is often associated with a comfortable and relaxed environment whereas cool light is used to help see objects more clearly. Luckily LED lights have the option to adjust colour temperature, so we can have the best of both worlds to create the perfect scary jigsaw puzzle experience.

Cosy up for your jigsaw Halloween time

Ever heard the expression to be as snug as a bug in a rug, that’s precisely what we mean by being exuberantly comfortable for your Halloween jigsaw puzzle off. To do this plenty of pillows and blankets are required, there’s no such thing as too many. If you're up for an extra creepy feel opening a few windows and doors to drop the temperature is also a great way to feel cosy in your blanket, whilst keeping the mind sharp for puzzling. Don’t forget the hot water bottles.

Set the ambience with a chilling sound track or audio book

Jigsaw puzzling with audio is a must, whether it be music, a podcast or an audio book. If going for the music you could opt for ominous sounds such as atmospheric / instrumental e.g. Tubular bells by Mike Oldfield (who? what? The Exorcist soundtrack was made from the opening section of this record). If that unsettles your nerves, you can’t go amiss with Halloween/Horror themed pop e.g. classics such as Warren Zevon - Werewolves Of London. Here’s some suggested playlists to set the mood:-

• Music option for the trendy musos
• Classic Halloween tunes
• Atmospheric playlist

For those who would rather puzzle along to an audio book your can’t go wrong with a Stephen King some great narrators have done them over the years like the actor ​​James Franco (The Dead Zone). Maybe something more classic like Edgar Allen Poe takes your fancy but our personal favourite is always M R James ghost story (classic english writer credited for redefining the ghost story for the modern age). The British actor and writer Mark Gatiss (from doctor who, sherlock fame) has done a fantastic job of telling these.

Halloween jigsaw = Halloween Treats (any excuse!)

Jigsaw puzzles can be hard work mentally. They are known to test your visual processing skills, concentration and short term memory. It's well known that the brain uses more energy than any other organ (up to 20%) so you’re going to need some calorific treats to get you through, right? Well maybe not but what the heck, it’s not Halloween without treats. Grab that candy or with a bit of elbow grease and preparation its always possible to go the healthy route. But our personal favourite treat whilst doing halloween jigsaw puzzles is spiced pumpkin pie.

Carve a puzzley pumpkin

This is pretty obvious, but it wouldn’t be Halloween without a jack-o'-lantern. Get creative and carve something puzzle related into it like puzzle pieces for eyes.

Smell the fear

Nothing invigorates the senses like a strong nostalgic smell and no smell says Halloween than a pumpkin spiced scented candle. There are plenty to choose from, just make sure you don’t drop any wax on any of your precious halloween jigsaw puzzles 1000 pieces.

Make yourself a Witches Brew to puzzle along to

No cosy setup is complete without a nice warm beverage. A pot of English tea, with plenty of refills to give you more puzzling time. If you’re feeling decadent or fancy something caffeine free you could try making yourself a Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate.

Set the puzzling, creepy scene

We saved the best for last given that a staple element of the Halloween season is the enjoyment everyone gets out of decorating their homes with haunting adornments and eerie filled gimmicks. Witches broomsticks, bats, ghosts, cobwebs, skulls,skeletons and spiders, it’s time to get creative in crafting a spine-chilling space to do your spooky jigsaw puzzles.