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As word spreads about the rise of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), we’re fielding more and more questions from artists and creators looking to sell their work on the blockchain. For many, the first steps can be tricky to overcome. Crypto wallets? Ethereum? We’ve all been there. Here’s how to turn your art into NFTs and list them for sale on OpenSea.
Key terms
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) – Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) are unique, digital items with blockchain-managed ownership. Examples of NFTs include digital art, collectibles, virtual reality items, crypto domain names, ownership records for physical assets, and more. For further information on NFTs and how we got here, read our CEO’s ever-popular overview.
Ethereum – Ethereum is a blockchain, and ETH is the currency used to make transactions on the Ethereum blockchain.
Gas fees – Think of gas fees as Ethereum blockchain transaction costs. OpenSea has no say in setting gas fees – they are determined by supply/demand across the network (blockchain).
Crypto wallet – A crypto wallet is an application or hardware device that allows individuals to store and retrieve digital assets.
Wallet address – Your wallet address is unique. It’s the address people will use when they are sending crypto or NFTs to your crypto wallet.
Secret recovery phrase – Your secret recovery phrase is a list of words that can be used to recover your crypto should you forget your password or lose access to your wallet. When you first begin trading with your wallet, find your secret recovery phrase and back it up somewhere safe, in multiple locations if possible. Don’t store your secret recovery phrase on an online cloud storage service and never share it with anyone.
Collection – A collection is a body of work, like a store or gallery. If you see someone refer to an OpenSea collection as a store or gallery, don’t get confused – it’s all the same. We use the term collection to keep things simple.
User safety
Cryptocurrencies and blockchains offer many benefits but it’s important to do your research on how to safely store funds and digital items before you dive in. The crypto and NFTs in your wallet are your responsibility. Never share your password or seed phrase with anyone.
Setting up your wallet
First up, you’ll need a wallet to store your crypto and NFTs. We recommend using Google Chrome and installing the MetaMask wallet extension. Here are the MetaMask FAQs for reference! Once installed, head to OpenSea, click the icon in the top right corner, then My Profile. Press Sign In and follow the instructions in your wallet.
Creating your collection
At this point, you should see your account page – empty for now, but we’re working on it! Next up, press Create at the top, then My Collections. Click Create underneath ‘Create new collection’, enter your collection’s name and description, and upload an image – we’re not making NFTs at this point; we’re just setting up your collection for you to display your work, and you can edit all this info later on. Hit Add New Items and you’ll be taken to what’s effectively your collection’s back office.
Fine-tuning your collection
There are a few things worth doing before creating your first NFTs. In the image above, you’ll notice a personalized banner. To upload yours, press the pencil icon in the top right. Your banner will look different on different devices, so aim for dimensions around 1400 x 400 and avoid text. To see how the e9art banner looks on OpenSea, click here. The Payouts tab shows pending payments due for secondary sales (yours will be empty for now), and pressing Visit takes you to your public-facing collection.
