Okay, so I wanted to make some extra cash, and I thought, “Why not try making some merch?” But not just any merch – I wanted something unique. That’s when I hit upon the idea of crossword puzzles as merch items. Sounds kinda weird, I know, but stick with me.
First, I brainstormed some themes. I figured I needed something people would actually be interested in. I’m a big fan of, like, retro video games and cheesy 80s movies, so I jotted down a bunch of words related to those.
Next, I needed a way to actually make the crosswords. I’m no coding genius, so I avoided trying to build something from scratch. Instead, I went online and looked for some free crossword puzzle generators. There are a surprising number of them out there! Most of them are pretty basic, but they get the job done.
- I typed in my words and clues.
- I hit the “generate” button.
- And boom! Instant crossword puzzle.
It wasn’t perfect, of course. I spent a good chunk of time tweaking the puzzles, moving words around, and rewriting some of the clues to make them a little more challenging (and funnier, if I could manage it).
After the crossword part came how to put it on products? I found websites for that. It was pretty straightforward, I just uploaded the image and could see it on t-shirts, mugs, and tote bags.
The last and hardest part was the waiting! When I first saw the merch pop up on the screen, all printed and stuff, it was a pretty cool feeling. I might just be a little bit closer to that early retirement I’ve been dreaming of, haha. It’s been a long wait, but it’s totally worth it.
