Written by the team behind Puzzlify. Puzzlify is our product, so weigh what follows with that in mind. We've tried to make this useful even if you never use it.
Every December the family photo goes out on a card. It's a lovely tradition, and the people who get it really do like seeing how the children have grown. But a printed card gets a few seconds on the mantelpiece, and the ones going overseas arrive in January if they arrive at all. A photo shared in the family group chat gets a heart emoji and scrolls away under forty other messages.
This post is about one small way to make this year's family photo get a little more attention: sending it as a short digital jigsaw, from a link, with your holiday message appearing when the last piece clicks in. You can send it on its own, or add it to the card you already post as a QR code or a short link. It isn't the only good idea, and there's a list of others further down that don't involve us at all.
Why a puzzle works for a holiday photo
When someone has to put a photo back together, they look at it properly. Piece by piece they notice the new haircut, the dog in the antlers, the toddler who refused to look at the camera. By the time it's finished, they've spent a few minutes with your family instead of a few seconds, and the message at the end lands after all that attention.
It also works well for the people who are hardest to reach at Christmas: relatives abroad, friends who moved away, grandparents who'd love something to do on a quiet afternoon. Nobody has to install anything, it opens on a phone, tablet or laptop, and the person receiving it doesn't need an account.
Choosing the photo
Most families already have the photo. A few things make it work better as a jigsaw:
- Everyone's face clearly visible. Faces are the easiest part to assemble and the most rewarding to find.
- Some colour and detail. A bright jumper, a tree, a wreath on the door or a snowy garden gives the solver something to work with. A plain wall behind everyone makes the puzzle harder in a boring way.
- The original file, not a screenshot. Use the JPG from your phone or camera rather than a copy saved from a messaging app, which is usually compressed.
- Landscape or square tends to suit a screen better than a tall portrait.
If you don't have a posed family photo this year, a candid one is often better: the chaos of decorating the tree, the pile of coats at a gathering, the dog asleep under the table. And if other people are in the photo, check they're happy for it to be shared, especially with older children.
How many pieces
Think about who's receiving it. A grandparent on a tablet and a puzzle-loving cousin want different things.
| Pieces | Roughly | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | 2–5 minutes | Young children, or a quick hello |
| 48 | 5–10 minutes | Most relatives and friends |
| 80 | 10–20 minutes | A proper sit-down puzzle over coffee |
| 130 | 20–40 minutes | Keen puzzlers |
| 252 | 40+ minutes | Someone who'll treat it as their Boxing Day project |
If you're sending one puzzle to the whole family, 48 or 80 pieces is a safe middle. You can turn on a leaderboard so relatives can see who finished fastest, which tends to start a friendly argument in the group chat. You can also add an optional PIN if you'd rather the link only opened for the people you sent it to.
Writing the message at the end
The note appears when the last piece goes in, so it can be the same message you'd write in a card, just a little more personal. Short works best:
- "Merry Christmas from all four of us. We miss you, and we're saving you a seat for next year."
- "Happy holidays! Yes, the dog is wearing the antlers again. Love from the whole house."
- "You solved our year. Here's to seeing you in the spring."
One memory or one plan in the note makes it feel like it was written for them, not for a mailing list.
When and how to send it
- On its own, a few days before the holidays. A message with the link and one line ("We made you something, it takes about ten minutes") is enough.
- Inside the printed card. Print a QR code or a short link on the back of the card or on a small slip, with "Scan me to unwrap our photo". People who get the card early have something to do while they wait.
- In the family group chat, with the leaderboard on, so it becomes a small game everyone joins.
- For anyone abroad, sending it as a link means it arrives on the day you choose, whatever the post is doing.
What it costs
You can build and preview the puzzle in the browser for free, so you can check how the photo looks at each piece count before deciding anything. You only pay when you publish the link to send it: one credit is EUR 3.99, three credits are EUR 8.99, and Plus is EUR 14.99 a year for 10 credits, which is handy if you want different puzzles for different sides of the family, or one now and more through the year. The people receiving it don't need an account. If you'd like to try it, the Puzzlify puzzle maker is where to start.
To be clear about what it isn't: Puzzlify is digital only. Nothing is printed or posted. If you want a physical jigsaw of the family photo to wrap and put under someone's tree, a printed photo-puzzle service is the better choice, and it's worth ordering early, since December delivery slots fill up and international post is slow. Puzzlify is also not puzzlify.io (a chess site), and it isn't Puzzlit, Puzzly or Puzzify, which are separate products.
A simple plan
- Pick the photo now, before the December rush, or plan the shot for the first weekend you decorate.
- Build it and solve it yourself to check faces are recognisable at the piece count you chose.
- Write a short message with one memory or one plan.
- Send the link a few days before the holidays, or print the QR code into your cards.
Other ways to share the family photo that don't involve us
A jigsaw is one small option. Plenty of good ideas cost little or nothing:
- A short video card: thirty seconds of everyone saying hello, recorded on a phone.
- A "year in twelve photos" message, one picture per month with a line under each.
- A handwritten note inside the printed card for the people who matter most, even if the rest are printed.
- A shared online album that relatives can add their own photos to over the holidays.
- A video call on the day with the people you can't see, scheduled in advance so it actually happens.
- A printed photo calendar for next year, which keeps the family on someone's wall for twelve months.
Whatever you send, the point is the same: letting the people you love, near or far, spend a moment with your family this year. If a photo jigsaw fits, you can try it free on the Puzzlify puzzle maker and only pay if you send it.