In PowerPoint, we will be using shapes to create the puzzle pieces. Why Shapes? We use shapes because, down the track, we will merge the image to the exact puzzle shape. Using PNG doesn’t work, because PowerPoint doesn't allow the image to be merged into another Picture.

Depending on how many pieces you will need for your puzzle, we are going to make at least four shapes:

• One piece that goes to all four corners
• One piece that goes to the sides
• One piece that goes to the middle part(s)
• One piece that fills the odd gap in the end.

Tips:  Use the outline feature to see exactly where the circle will be so that it overlaps nicely with the other piece. Don’t worry about the puzzle piece size for now. You can scale it later to fill whatever stage/frame size you decide. Make the slide size and image size the same. That way, you don’t need to bring the image in until later, and you’d know the pieces will fit the image as long as it fills the whole slide.

Part 1: Creating the Puzzle Shapes.

Creating the piece that goes in the corners.

Because this is a corner piece, we are going to use:

1. a rectangle/square
2. one circle that will be joined to the rectangle
3. one circle that will crop the shape.

• In the Home/Insert tab, click on shapes, and select a rectangle. (note: press shift to retain the square shape while scaling.
• Click on shapes again, and select an oval. Hold shift while clicking and dragging to create a circle. Duplicate the circle so that you now have two circles. 
• Align the middle of the circle to the bottom of the square. Also, center it horizontally (click on the square, shift + click on the bottom circle. Click Arrange > Align > Align Centre).
• Align the circle's middle to the square's right side. Also, center it vertically (click on the square, shift + click on the right circle. Click Arrange > Align > Align Middle).
• Duplicate one circle, and drag it outside the slide. we will need this to refer to later.
• Select all shapes, click on Shape Format > Shape Fill, select No Fill (leaving only outline).
• Click on the circle you’d like to combine with the square. Press shift + click to select the square.
• With both the circle and square selected, click on the Shape Format tab. 
• Select Merge Shapes > Select ‘Union’.
• Make sure the shape you’ve just created is at the back. If not, right-click on it and select Send to Back > send to back.
• Click on the shape you’ve just created, press shift + click, and select the other circle.
• With both the circle and shape selected, click on the Shape Format tab. 
• Select Merge Shapes > Select ‘Subtract’.
• You have created your first puzzle piece. 

Creating the piece that goes to the sides.

This time we are going to use:

1. a rectangle/square
2. two circles that will be joined to the square
3. one circle that will crop the shape.

• In the Home/Insert tab, click on shapes, and select a rectangle. (note: press shift to retain the square shape while scaling.
• Duplicate the circle that you previously placed outside the slide. Create three circles.
• Place the middle of one circle at the top of the square and one at the bottom of the square. Centre both circles horizontally to the square.
• Place one circle's middle to the square's right side. Also, center it vertically.

• Click on the circles you’d like to combine with the square. Press shift + click to select the square. With both the circles and square selected, click on the Shape Format tab. Select Merge Shapes > Select ‘Union’.
• Make sure the shape you’ve just created is at the back. If not, right-click on it and select Send to Back > send to back.
• Click on the shape you’ve just created, press shift + click, and select the other circle. With both the circle and shape selected, click on the Shape Format tab. Select Merge Shapes > Select ‘Subtract’.
• You have now created the piece that goes to the sides.

Adjusting the puzzle size. 

Depending on how many pieces you need for your puzzle, at this point, you're probably ready to scale the puzzle. In our example, only two corner pieces and one side piece are required to determine the scale.

• Duplicate the corner piece, and rotate it 270°.
• Put it below the side piece you have previously created.
• Put all three pieces together so they're all connected (do not scale anything up to this point).
• Group the three pieces and the backup circle outside the stage, and scale them down to fit the slide height. (do this if the slide size is what the final image will be). Select all pieces Press Ctrl + G; or right-click> Click ‘Group’.
• Hover your mouse over the bottom right corner of the group until you see the arrow pointing in diagonal directions, click and drag. (note: to retain proportion, hold shift while dragging).

Once you're satisfied with the scale, ungroup the puzzle pieces (Shift + Ctrl +G or right click > Group > Ungroup). Grab the corner pieces, duplicate them twice, and arrange them in the corners of the slide. Duplicate the side pieces as many as you need and arrange them.

By now, all the corners and sides of the puzzle should be filled.

Creating the piece that goes to the middle.

This time we are going to use:

1. a square
2. one circle that will be joined to the square
3. three circles that will crop the shape.

• In the Home/Insert tab, click on shapes, and select a rectangle. (note: press shift to retain the square shape while scaling.
• Use the backup circle that has been resized, and duplicate it a couple of times so you have four circles for this piece. Align them to the middle/centre of the sides/top/bottom of the square.
• Click on the circle that you’d like to combine with the square (e.g the right side of the rectangle), press shift + click to also select the rectangle. With the circle and square selected, click on the Shape Format tab. Select Merge Shapes > Select ‘Union’.
• Make sure that the shape you’ve just created is at the back. If not, right click on it and select Send to back > send to back.
• Click on the shape that you’ve just created, press shift + click to also select the three circles. With the circles and shape selected, click on the Shape Format tab. Select Merge Shapes > Select ‘Subtract’.
• Duplicate the piece as many as you need and arrange it. (In our example, we only need one).

Creating the piece that fills the odd gap.

Depending on how big your puzzle is and how many pieces you need, after arranging the puzzle pieces you have created, you should be left with one empty gap. This piece should consist of 1 square and 4 circles that will crop the square.

• In the Home/Insert tab, click on shapes, and select a rectangle. Draw a square.
• Use the backup circle that has been resized, and duplicate it a couple of times so you have four circles for this piece. Align them to the middle/centre of the sides/top/bottom of the square.
• Click on the square first, then press shift + click to also select the four circles. With the circles and shape selected, click on the Shape Format tab. Select Merge Shapes > Select ‘Subtract’.

Your puzzle should now be complete.

As a finishing touch, you can fill the puzzle pieces with alternating colours and eliminate the outline.

Next, we will look at how to put the image into these pieces.

 

Part 2: Merge the image into the puzzle pieces.

After you’ve created the puzzle pieces, let’s fill individual pieces with the image.
To do this, I usually create a second slide on my PowerPoint and do the merging there, leaving the first slide as a template.

• Create a new slide. Delete the textboxes.
• Insert an image into the second slide (Insert>Pictures> [wherever you keep your image]. Make sure you’ve adjusted the size to suit the puzzle pieces (or vice versa). Centre and middle align the image to the slide. Create a duplicate, and put the copy outside the slide for the next piece.
• Copy one puzzle piece and paste it on the second slide (on top of the image). Make sure they are pasted in the same position as the one on the first slide. By default, Powerpoint will do that. If not, right-click> ‘Select destination theme (H).
• Click on the image first, then shift + click on the puzzle piece. 
• Click Shape Format > Merge shapes > Intersect.

You have created your first puzzle piece!

For the rest of the pieces:

• Centre & middle align the duplicated image. You can copy it again for the next piece. You will need one image for each piece.
• Copy another puzzle piece from the first slide and paste it on the second slide. Make sure they are pasted in the same position as the one on the first slide. 
• Make sure the puzzle piece is placed on top of the image.
• Click on the image first, then shift + click on the puzzle piece. 
• Click Shape Format > Merge shapes > Intersect.
• Repeat the process until all the pieces are done. 

Congratulations, you have created your first jigsaw puzzle pieces in PowerPoint.

To download the puzzle piece template in PowerPoint, click the button below.

 Read this tutorial to learn how to add the interaction in Articulate Storyline.