How to Create Your Own Crossword Puzzle Free
A mainstay of newspaper entertainment pages, crossword puzzles can sharpen the mind as you try to figure out words from the creatively cryptic clues. A personalized crossword makes a wonderful gift for a puzzle lover, especially if it includes words related to the recipient's interests and hobbies. Although commercial software exists to create this pastime, you can also make them for free with a program like EclipseCrossword.
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Instructions
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Create a text file containing the words and clues that you would like to use for your puzzle. Type the word first followed by a colon and then the clue (EXAMPLE: NOT THE FINAL). Then press the Enter key to type in the next word and clue. When you have entered all the words, save and close the file.
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Create your puzzle online by going to Armored Penguin, whose link is under Resources. Enter a title, name and description. Specify options for formatting your puzzle including capitalization, fonts and the color of the filled-in squares. You can load your text file of clues by clicking the Browse and Load Puzzle button. Click the Make Puzzle button to make the puzzle. You can choose from an online version that can be solved on the website or a PDF version you can print and give to friends.
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Create your puzzle with a program if you want more control over the final output. Download, install and run EclipseCrossword, whose link is under Resources. Go through the wizard by clicking the Next and Back buttons near the bottom. Choose "I would like to start a new crossword" and then "I already have a word list" to upload your text file of clues. You can save the crossword as a Web page or print it directly. If you want to tinker with the final output, choose the Publish tab and select "Rich Text Format (RTF)" to export the clues and "Windows Meta File (WMF)" to export the puzzle grid.
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Format the EclipseCrossword output as needed. Use a word-processing program like Microsoft Word to open the clues RTF file. Format the font, color and layout as you would any document. Insert the puzzle grid WMF by choosing the Insert menu and then the Picture and From File options. Enlarge or color the grid to your taste. Consider adding decorative images (perhaps by replacing some of the clues with pictures) as well as any greetings or well-wishes.
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Tips & Warnings
When printing out puzzles, make at least two copies and keep one to use as a reference in case the recipient has any questions. If you're printing out the final puzzle as a gift, consider using special stationery. Make several puzzles that you can assemble sequentially into a book. Use the answers from one puzzle as clues to the next puzzle. For example, if the previous puzzle was titled "Solar System," you can use the clue "5 across from Solar System."
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Theilr: Flickr.com
