How to Set Up a Crossword Puzzle
Crossword puzzles are a fun and strategic way of exercising the brain. Setting up your own crossword puzzle on paper is easy, but several computer and web-based programs offer more options, allowing you to better customize your puzzle.
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Instructions
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Create a Crossword Puzzle in Microsoft Excel
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1
Sketch out your crossword puzzle on a piece of paper. Determine how many columns tall and how many rows wide your puzzle will be.
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Open Microsoft Excel and create a basic layout for your puzzle. Set the columns and rows for your puzzle. For example, a puzzle that is going to be 16 letters wide and 13 letters tall would be set to columns A-R and rows 1-16.
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Select "Format," then "Column Width," then change the width of the columns to 4.00. Select "Format," then "Row Height," then change the height of the rows to 24.00.
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Set up the boxes for your words. For example, to set up boxes for the word "lumping," select cells G3-G9. Set the borders of the boxes by clicking the "All Borders" icon next to the "Font Options" toolbar.
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Format the boxes so the hint number will appear in the box. Select "Format," then "Cells," then "Alignment." Change "Text Alignment of Horizontal" to "Left (Indent)." Change "Vertical Text Alignment" to "Top." Change the font size to 8 and begin typing the numbers in the boxes.
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Type the clues or hints below your crossword puzzle. Make sure the hints correspond to the numbers in your box.
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Fill in any unused cells with a color, such as black.
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Provide your crossword puzzle with a catchy and clever title that relates to your words.
Create a Crossword Puzzle Using edHelper.com
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Go to edHelper.com's crossword puzzle website.
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Enter a title for your crossword puzzle in the "Title" field. Make sure your title relates to the content of your puzzle.
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Write directions for your crossword puzzle in the "Directions" field.
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Enter words and clues into the fields that correspond. Enter both words and clues, or only enter words and use edHelper's vocabulary database to generate clues.
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Select the number of keys and the difficulty of the puzzle. The more keys you enter, the more versions of the puzzle there will be.
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Tips & Warnings
Add clip art to give your puzzle a more fun and personal feeling.
References
- Photo Credit crossword image by cherie from Fotolia.com
