How to Make Your Own Crossword Puzzle

If you thought completing a crossword puzzle was a challenge, you have never made one of your own. Wow your friends with your intellect and creativity by making your own crossword puzzle. Read on to learn how to make your own crossword puzzle.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• A couple sheets of graph paper
• A pencil
• A pen with dark ink

1. Start with a piece of graph paper.
2. While the biggest challenge, this step is also the most fun. Fill in the boxes of the graph paper with words, one letter per square. Visualize your puzzle like a game of Scrabble; start with one word and build off of it. You can go in either direction--up, down, left, or right--just make sure your words fit together in all directions. Again, while this is a challenge, you will be impressed with your creativity by the time you are done.
3. Outline the boxes around your letters with dark ink. If you choose, you can shade in blank boxes in between the words to give your puzzle a completed look like in the newspapers.
4. Starting from the box furthest top left in your puzzle, begin to number your puzzle. Go from left to right all the way to the bottom of your puzzle until each square has a number.
5. Use the numbers that correspond with your boxes to develop your clues. For example, if 19-across says "ehow.com," write a clue that will help your players guess it, like, "Best website ever!"
6. Write clues for all of the words across, then do all the words down.
7. Trace your puzzle onto a different sheet of graph paper, but this time do not fill in the answers. Keep the original puzzle for your master copy and challenge your friends and family to play.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep in mind that a lot of creating your puzzle will be trial and error, so use a pencil and don't be afraid to erase.