DIY Geometic Camping Puzzle

This puzzle makes me think of crisp mornings with fire-heated drinks and birdsongs to relax you. Using recycled materials and color scheme inspired by vintage national parks posters really make this activity something that you want to pack into your camping bag and take with you on your next trip!

Supplies:

Cardboard

Ruler

Pencil

Exacto or Scissors

Paint

Template (optional)

Step one: Draw a grid.

This step is only necessary if you do not plan on using the template. I measured out my squares to be 1 in. by 1 in.

Step 2: Draw your ground and your tent.

Using a ruler and your grid as a guide, draw your lines for the ground and the tent. Try to keep everything as symmetrical as possible.

Step three: Add the trees.

Step four: Add the sun rays.

Step five: Label your pieces by color.

This step is so important because after you get everything cut out it's nearly impossible to tell which is which! My labels were Y=Yellow, W=Coral (changed my mind after labeling, oops!), DG=Dark Green, G=Green, Bl=Blue, and B=Brown. You can see that I had a few mess ups on my labeling (the tree on the left should just be G), but because the lower pieces are symmetrical I could just look at the similar piece to see what color I needed! 

Step six: Cut out your pieces.

If you are using an Exacto knife, use multiple cuts to cut through the layers of cardboard smoothly. You can use scissors, but an Exacto knife will give you a better finished puzzle.

 

Step seven: Paint your pieces.

This might take several coats. I painted both sides, but it's not necessary. Wait for your pieces to dry completely before putting it back together! You don't want to have your pieces stick together!

I took a picture of the completed puzzle and put it into the bag with the pieces so I could put it together again later. I have to be honest, this puzzle is one of my favorite things I've ever made. Besides, like, my kid. And this lemonade I made this one time. But definitely in my top ten!

And if you want to make your life a little easier, I've included a template below that you can use as a guide for making your own, or just cut up to use as the puzzle itself! Enjoy!