About us
Elms Puzzles was founded in 1987 by Betsy Stuart. The name comes from her initials, Elizabeth Lee McShane Stuart or E.L.M.S. Betsy ran the company from her log cabin home in Maine for 20 years until she passed away in 2007. Her husband Fred, along with artisans Lisa, Rose, Debby, Chris, and Kristin, continued the business in her honor. Fred has since retired, but we continue Betsy's dedication to producing beautifully handcrafted puzzles.
Meet Betsy, our founder
What's the difference?
Are hand-cut puzzles really better than ones produced by lasers? Yes they are. By a country mile. It all comes down to the fit, the feel, and the experience of assembling a one-of-a-kind puzzle. Lasers burn through the wood to make a cut, which causes the pieces to have a looser, less-satisfactory fit. Laser puzzles also use thinner wood that has a more plastic, less organic feel. Like anything else, you can tell when something has been made by hand.
Elms Artisans
We are a small crew of artisans with a shared love for the centuries-old art of wooden puzzle crafting. It brings us immense joy to share our craft with you and your loved ones.
Like so many of us since the pandemic, we now work from home. For decades, however, we either worked out of Betsy & Fred's home or our little studio in the beautiful Lakes Region of Western Maine.
Chris Danner, Owner
Chris fell in love with puzzles as a kid, when his parents began renting them from Elms. To this day, there is still always one on their kitchen table. Chris' mission is to convince everyone that renting an Elms puzzle is the best way to spend time with those you love. He lives in California with his wife and twin daughters.
See Elms on MaineLife
For all press inquiries, please email press@elmspuzzles.com
Would you like to learn more about your Elms puzzle?
If you have one of our puzzles and would like to learn more about it, let us know! Our team loves to research older puzzles and share what we find.