Making NFTs

NFTs are “minted.” Don’t let the terminology put you off, though – all it means is that the NFT must be added to the blockchain. If you’re using OpenSea, you’ll be adding your NFT to the Ethereum blockchain.

Here’s how to do it.

Head over to the OpenSea platform and look for the “create” menu in the top right corner. When you click on that, you’ll be asked to connect your cryptocurrency wallet and verify ownership of the wallet. 

Next, click “My Collections.” Before minting an NFT, you have to create a collection. That’s basically a folder for your NFT. At this stage, you can also choose a name and an image to represent the collection. 

Once you’ve done that, you’ll need to click “Add New Item” and verify your wallet for a second time. The next step is to upload the file you want to turn into an NFT. Now all you need to do is name the NFT and add a description. Finally, hit “Create” to begin the minting process. After confirming this step, the NFT will appear in your wallet.  And that’s it – you’ve just made your first NFT! 

As we’ve seen, you can make an NFT out of pretty much anything – a tweet, a GIF, a video, a picture, or a digital artwork. The only limitation is copyright: you have to own the material or have a right to use it. 

When it comes to choosing the content of your first NFT, keep it simple. You can use a photograph or video you’ve shot on your phone, for example. Or you can get creative and create an image. If you’re using traditional materials, you’ll need to scan it in. If you’re using digital tools, upload the file directly. Images should be as high resolution as possible, but they can’t exceed OpenSea’s maximum file size, which is 100 MB. That limit also means your video content can’t be too long.

Getting the name of your NFT right is vital: the name, after all, is the first thing potential buyers are going to see. Think of it as your chance to stand out in a crowded marketplace. There are a couple of routes you can take here. You can take a leaf out of conceptual artist Sarah Meyohas’s book and pick something attention-grabbing like her project’s name – Bitchcoin. Or you use the file name to emphasize your NFT’s uniqueness by adding descriptors like “one of a kind” or adding series numbers like “1 of 1” or “1 of 50.”