I've been making themed professional crossword puzzles for a few years now, and it's one of the most fun and frustrating pastimes I've ever encountered (I know, you must be thinking I don't get out much). The first thing you need to make a crossword puzzle is a blank square grid. If this is your first time making one, I'd recommend using a 13x13 or a 15x15 grid. When you get into larger grids (21x21, etc), it can get a little overwhelming. For a nice printable blank grid, you can click here.

Now grab a pencil (you don't want to do this in pen. Use something that's erasable). There are many different ways to put in black squares on a crossword grid, but because this is a beginner's guide, we'll put them in first.

The interesting thing about legitimate crossword puzzles is that there are quite a few rules.

1. All words have to be 3 letters or longer. No "is", "am", "on", "yo" or "oz". Or any other two letter words. You get it.

2. Black squares should make up a total of 46 squares or LESS on the grid.

3. The grid should look the same both right-side up and up-side down. Therefore! If you put a black square in the very top left box, you'll also have to put a black square in the very bottom right box. See Example 1!

Now its time to put in some words! Note that you'll be writing the clues after all of the answers are in place.

If you get stuck with words, you can try looking on Word Navigator to fit some in. There are other software programs that can help you create crossword puzzles with little effort, but they're typically expensive, and besides - what's the fun in having a computer program fill in the words for you? :)

Granted, you'll probably get stuck every so often. Not everything fits perfectly. Be wary of "problem" letters - such as J, Q, X, and K. These can be fit in and can make your crossword more colorful, but they take some time to work in.

Hopefully this will help you get started on your first crossword puzzle! Good luck, don't give up, and most importantly, have fun!