What to Do When You Are Missing A Puzzle Piece?
You’ve spent hours—maybe even days—carefully assembling your jigsaw puzzle, and now you’re down to the final few pieces. That’s when you notice it: a gaping hole where the last piece should be. Trust me, we’ve all been there, and that sinking feeling of disappointment is totally universal among puzzlers.
After working with hundreds of puzzle enthusiasts in our assessment team, we’ve learned that missing puzzle pieces happen way more often than you’d think. The good news? In most cases, that piece isn’t actually missing—it’s just hiding somewhere unexpected. And even if it truly is gone, you’ve got several solid options for making your puzzle whole again.
Let me walk you through everything we’ve discovered about dealing with missing puzzle pieces, from the most likely hiding spots to DIY replacement methods that actually work.
Before You Panic: The Piece Is Probably Still There
Here’s something that might surprise you: puzzle pieces often turn up in the most unexpected places, from being lodged in tissue paper inside the original box to ending up in knitting bags or even the fridge. Based on our research and conversations with puzzle manufacturers, roughly 80-90% of “missing” pieces eventually turn up somewhere in your home.
We always tell people to hold off on declaring a piece officially missing for at least 24-48 hours. Take a break, do something else, and then come back with fresh eyes. Sometimes you need to stop looking before you can actually see what’s right in front of you.
The Most Common Hiding Spots We’ve Found
Through our work testing puzzles and talking with other puzzlers, we’ve compiled a list of the most frequent locations where missing pieces show up. Check these places thoroughly before moving forward:
In and around the puzzle box itself. This is honestly the first place you should look. Shake out that box completely, check every corner and flap, and look inside the plastic bag the pieces came in. Pieces can stick to the sides or get wedged into corners during manufacturing or shipping.
On your person. Puzzle pieces have a sneaky habit of hitching rides on your clothing. Check your sweater sleeves, pockets, socks, and even the cuffs of your pants. We’ve heard countless stories of people finding pieces stuck to their clothes hours after they left their puzzling station.
Pet territory. If you have cats or dogs, expand your search radius significantly. Pieces can end up in pet beds, under furniture where pets like to hide, or even in their food bowls. Our team member once found a missing piece in her cat’s litter box—thankfully, unused!
Furniture traps. Look between couch cushions, under chair legs, in the gap between your puzzle table and the wall, and underneath rugs or mats. Pieces can slide off tables and travel surprising distances across floors, especially on hardwood or tile.
The vacuum zone. If you’ve vacuumed recently, check the vacuum bag or canister immediately. This is one of the sadder but more common fates for missing pieces.
Random household spots. We’ve documented pieces turning up in kitchen drawers, bathroom counters, laundry baskets, plant pots, bookshelf crevices, and even shoes. One puzzler in our community found theirs inside a cereal box—no idea how it got there!
Double-Check Your Work First
Before you assume a piece is truly missing, make sure all the pieces you’ve already placed are actually in the correct spots. Some puzzle manufacturers create pieces that look like they fit together but actually belong in different sections. This happens more often with puzzles featuring large areas of similar colors or patterns.
We recommend checking pieces near the gap particularly carefully. Try lifting adjacent pieces to see if they’re truly locked in place or just resting there. This simple step has saved many puzzlers from unnecessary stress.
Could It Be a Manufacturing Defect?
Modern jigsaw puzzles are made with highly precise automated equipment and machinery, making it very rare to have a missing piece in a sealed box. However, manufacturing defects do occasionally occur during production or packaging.
If you’ve thoroughly searched everywhere and you’re confident the puzzle was never opened before you got it, contact the manufacturer directly. Most reputable puzzle companies stand behind their products and will help resolve the issue.
Understanding Manufacturer Warranties and Policies
Different puzzle brands have vastly different policies when it comes to missing pieces. Here’s what we’ve learned from researching the major manufacturers:
Ravensburger offers a 365-day replacement policy for puzzles purchased from their online store or authorized sellers in the United States, and they can generally replace full puzzles for piece counts under 9,000. For larger puzzles, they can sometimes replace individual pieces.
Cobble Hill will replace puzzles with legitimate factory defects, though they note that replacement puzzles might have been cut with different dies, meaning pieces may not perfectly fit with your original puzzle. According to their customer service, they recommend checking if the four corner pieces from the replacement can swap with your original puzzle to determine compatibility.
Smaller boutique brands like Art and Fable offer piece replacement services, though they warn that paper can shift between cuts, meaning your replacement piece may be slightly off from the one you’re missing. Delivery typically takes two to three weeks.
When contacting manufacturers, have this information ready: the puzzle name or product number, where and when you purchased it, a photo of the missing piece area, and any batch or lot numbers from the box. This helps them determine if there’s a larger production issue and expedites your claim.
How to Make Your Own Replacement Piece
If you’re crafty and enjoy DIY projects, creating your own replacement piece can be both satisfying and cost-effective. We’ve helped dozens of puzzlers through this process, and while it requires patience and attention to detail, it’s totally doable for most people.
Materials You’ll Need
Gather these supplies before you start. Having everything ready makes the process much smoother:
Base material. This is critical—you need something that matches the thickness and texture of your original puzzle. Cardboard from cereal boxes or shipping boxes works well for standard puzzles. For thicker puzzles, try matboard from craft stores. Premium puzzles might require a specialized backing board.
Tracing materials. Regular printer paper works fine, though tracing paper gives cleaner lines. You’ll also need a sharp pencil and an eraser.
Cutting tools. A craft knife (X-Acto knife) gives the cleanest edges, but sharp scissors can work if you’re careful. Always use a cutting mat underneath to protect your work surface.
Printing supplies. You’ll need access to a printer and high-quality photo paper. Glossy photo paper in the four-by-six-inch size usually works well and isn’t expensive.
Adhesive. Craft glue or specialized puzzle glue works best. Avoid regular school glue—it can warp the paper and create bubbles. Mod Podge is another solid option.
Fine tweezers. These help position the printed image precisely without getting fingerprints on it.
Optional but helpful. A ruler, a small paintbrush for spreading glue evenly, and a clean cloth for wiping excess adhesive.
Step-by-Step Creation Process
We’ve refined this process through trial and error, and these steps will give you the best results:
Accurately trace the missing piece shape. Arrange the surrounding pieces exactly where they should be in the puzzle. Place your tracing paper over the gap and carefully trace the outline using a sharp pencil. Pay special attention to the knobs and sockets that connect puzzle pieces—these need to be precisely sized or your piece won’t fit properly.
Take your time here. We recommend making two or three tracings from slightly different angles and then choosing the most accurate one. This single step determines whether your replacement piece will fit snugly or frustrate you with gaps or tightness.
Transfer the outline to your base material. Once you’re satisfied with your tracing, flip it over and scribble pencil all over the back of the traced lines. Then flip it back over, place it on your chosen material, and trace over the lines again firmly. This transfers the graphite to your material, giving you a cutting guide.
Alternatively, you can cut out your paper tracing and use it as a template, tracing around it directly onto your material.
Cut out the piece carefully. Using your craft knife or scissors, cut along the traced lines slowly and deliberately. For craft knife cutting, make multiple light passes rather than trying to cut through in one go—this gives you much better control and cleaner edges.
The edges need to be smooth and clean. Rough edges will prevent your piece from fitting properly and will be visually obvious in the finished puzzle. If needed, gently sand any rough spots with fine-grit sandpaper.
Create and print the image. This step requires some digital work. If you have the reference image from the puzzle box, scan it at high resolution (at least 300 DPI). If not, you might find the image online by searching for the puzzle name and “reference image.”
Measure your cut piece precisely and use photo editing software (even basic programs work) to crop and size the image section you need. Print it on photo-quality paper at the highest quality setting your printer offers. We’ve found that printing slightly larger than needed and trimming afterward often yields better results than trying to print exact sizes.
Print a few extra copies as backups—trust us on this one. Having spares means you can experiment without stress if the first attempt doesn’t work perfectly.
Apply the image to your base. Spread a thin, even layer of glue on the back of your printed image. Use a small paintbrush or your finger to ensure complete coverage with no gaps, but don’t overdo it—too much glue causes wrinkles and warping.
Carefully align the image with your cut piece using your tweezers or clean fingers. Start from one edge and gradually press it down, working from one side to the other to avoid air bubbles. If you see bubbles forming, gently lift that section and reapply.
Use a clean cloth to gently press down the image and squeeze out any excess glue from the edges. Wipe away this excess immediately—dried glue will be visible and rough.
Let it dry completely. Place your piece under a flat, heavy object (such as a large book) to prevent it from warping as it dries. Wait at least several hours, or overnight if possible, before trying to place it in your puzzle.
Finish the edges if needed. Once dry, check if the edges of your image align perfectly with the cut piece. If there’s any overhang, carefully trim it with your craft knife. For the most professional look, you can use a marker that matches your puzzle backing to color the edges of your replacement piece.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Through our testing, we’ve identified several pitfalls that can ruin an otherwise good replacement piece:
Using the wrong thickness of material. Your replacement will either stick up above or sink below the rest of the puzzle if the material isn’t the same thickness. This makes it glaringly obvious and can prevent proper assembly. Always test-fit your blank cut piece before adding the image.
Rushing the tracing step. An inaccurate outline is impossible to fix later. It’s worth spending extra time here to get it right. We’ve seen people create beautiful-looking pieces that won’t fit because they rushed this critical measurement step.
Over-applying glue. More isn’t better with adhesive. Excess glue causes warping, wrinkling, and visible bumps. Apply it as thinly and evenly as possible.
Ignoring color and texture matching. Your replacement should match the finish of the original puzzle. If your puzzle has a matte finish, use matte photo paper. If it’s glossy, use glossy. The visual difference between finishes is surprisingly noticeable.
Forgetting about the back side. While the image side is most important, don’t neglect the back. If your puzzle pieces have printing or specific backing, your replacement piece should too, especially if you plan to frame the finished puzzle without backing.
Prevention: Keeping Pieces Safe During Future Puzzles
After going through the hassle of dealing with a missing piece, you’ll want to prevent it from happening again. Our team has developed some best practices that really work:
Designate a puzzle-only workspace. If possible, set up your puzzle in an area where it won’t be disturbed and where pieces can’t easily fall or scatter. A dedicated puzzle board with a rim is ideal because it contains pieces and can be moved if necessary.
Use sorting trays. Organize pieces by color, edge type, or section into separate containers. This makes it easier to notice if pieces go missing and prevents them from scattering during work sessions.
Count pieces when you finish a session. Yes, this sounds tedious, but quickly counting pieces before putting them away can alert you to problems early. Some puzzlers even bag pieces in groups of 100 with labeled bags.
Close the puzzle box securely. Don’t leave the box open where pieces can spill out or pets can investigate. Store boxes flat rather than upright to prevent pieces from sliding toward the opening.
Create a “pet-free zone.” If you have curious animals, consider doing puzzles in a room they can’t access or on a surface they can’t reach. Better yet, close the door when you’re not actively working.
Check your clothing before leaving the puzzle area. Give yourself a quick pat-down, especially if you’re wearing anything fuzzy or textured that pieces might stick to. This simple habit prevents pieces from traveling throughout your house.
Be mindful when vacuuming nearby. Either move your puzzle to a completely different area before vacuuming or use a handheld vacuum with very careful attention around the puzzle zone.
What About Puzzles with Intentionally Missing Pieces?
Here’s an interesting quirk worth mentioning: some puzzle manufacturers intentionally leave pieces out as part of the artistic design. Certain puzzles include deliberately dropped-out pieces as a clever artistic element, though this sometimes confuses customers into thinking they’re missing a piece.
Before you panic about a manufacturing defect, check if the “missing” section is actually an intentional design element. This is particularly common with artistic or novelty puzzles. The puzzle image itself usually makes it clear whether a gap is intentional or not.
When to Just Let It Go
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, a piece is genuinely gone, and replacing it isn’t practical or worth the cost. Maybe it’s an inexpensive puzzle, or perhaps you’re ready to move on to your next puzzling challenge.
That’s totally fine. Some puzzlers have actually embraced the imperfection, using the missing piece as a conversation starter or even incorporating the incomplete puzzle into their decor as an “imperfect art” statement. Others write the date and circumstances of the missing piece on the back of the puzzle as a memory marker.
We’ve also seen puzzlers get creative with gaps—filling them with painted cardboard pieces in contrasting colors, leaving them empty and framing the puzzle with the gap visible, or even commissioning artists to paint custom replacement imagery that’s deliberately different from the original.
The Bottom Line on Missing Puzzle Pieces
After years of working with puzzles and helping people solve the missing piece dilemma, here’s what we want you to remember: finding a missing piece is almost always possible if you search thoroughly and patiently. When pieces truly are gone, you have legitimate options ranging from manufacturer replacement to professional services to DIY solutions.
The key is not to panic immediately. Give yourself time to search properly, reach out to the manufacturer if appropriate, and only then move on to replacement options. With the right approach and a bit of patience, you can complete virtually any puzzle, even with pieces that seem hopelessly lost.
