How to Make a Pipes Maze

In a series of posts I will show you how to make a maze in a wide variety of design constructions. The 19th type of maze construction is the Pipes maze. Let’s define what I mean, then get into the example. This example will use the basic outline of the state of Ohio, but it can be made in any shape !

Here is an outline for this blog post with jump links if you want to skip ahead to a section:

PIPES MAZE DEFINTION

THE 5 RULES OF MAZE DESIGN

HOW TO MAKE A PIPES MAZE

ADDITIONAL PIPE MAZE EXAMPLES

FREE PIPE MAZE SECTIONS

THE PIPE MAZE BOOK

FURTHER DESIGN READING - WEAVING MAZES

PIPE MAZE DEFINTION:

Pipes Maze - A maze where the pathways are represented by pipes. The use of pipes allow the maze to take on an extra dimension beyond the paper as the pipes can weave around one another.

THE 5 RULES OF MAZE DESIGN:

These 5 rules apply to any maze you make so we start with them !

1. Always keep an open pathway for the solution

While drawing a maze you will need to juggle multiple open pathways each of which could become the solution. One of them will become the solution. Keep track of it. This is especially important if you are designing pathways in both directions (from the start and from the goal).

2. Clearly mark the start and goal, or the objective of the maze

A maze should have a start and a goal that you can assess just by glancing at it. There are many ways to start and end a maze I review in this blog post: Options for Starting and Ending a Maze

3. Ensure the difficulty matches the intended audience

Most people want to solve a puzzle/maze that is just slightly below or slightly above their skill level. Many things help determine the difficulty of a maze. Size, number of branches, the length of dead ends, the number of choices, the complexity of the rules (if the maze has them).

4. Ensure your maze has a solution

When your maze is complete, solve it to determine the difficulty level and to ensure it is a real, solvable maze. Depending on the complexity of the maze you may want to do this right away or wait so you can properly assess the difficulty.

5. Explain anything that needs explaining

Some mazes have rules or conditions. Explain them with directions. If it isn't obvious, make it so.

HOW TO MAKE A PIPES MAZE

Before we get into the step by step process I want to note that this is one of the longer maze types to make. Even a short, easy maze takes a good amount of time to complete. It is also the maze type (along with it’s sister type the Weaving Maze) that is most likely to have design problems that are difficult to catch.

• Step 1 - Draw the Outline (optional)

Because this is a Pipes maze there is no requirement to make any outline, in fact 99% of the time there will not be an outline as the pipes naturally make a self contained border. However, to be consistent with my project I have included my standard Ohio outline for comparison which I will use to guide the shape of my pipe maze (then delete).

• Step 1.5 - Draw a Guide Grid

To help give your Pipe maze some structure add a picnic blanket grid to guide the drawing of your pipes. Add a start location on the edge of your outline with an arrow (optional) and a turning knob. This grid will guide where you can and can’t draw pipes. Do not draw any pipes in the white grid of the “picnic blanket”, while filling the colored portion (in this example pink) with piping.

• Step 2 - Start Drawing Pipes

Starting from the entrance, begin drawing pipes. As you create the pipes remember you can loop and weave the pipes around one another. As you draw if you want to loop a pipe back you will need to stop a path (it will look like a dead end) and start it again leaving a gap for the future crossing. You can see an example the initial the gap will have a pipe thru it as the pipes continue to be drawn ! Also, I color the pipes grey as I go so they look like pipes !!

IMPORTANT RULES : Never end a pipe under another pipe. Never split a pipe under another pipe. Basically, anytime a pipe goes under another pipe it must come out the other side to avoid confusion !

• Step 3 - Add Shadows to the Pipes (timing optional)

I add shadows to the end of any section of pipe that will go under another pipe in the maze. While you can do this at the end of the mazes construction also, I find it is easiest to do this as you draw the pipes (it is VERY easy to miss some!).

• Step 4 - Keep Drawing the Pipes

Weave your pipes around one another, occasionally splitting the pipe into different sections. I believe that compared to other maze constructions this is the easiest one to lose track of your open pathways during the design. You also have the challenge of filling in all the gaps you have made along the way,

• Step 5 - Finish the Pipes and add the Spigot

End the final pipe you have chosen as a solution with a spigot (with an additional arrow and water drips optional). Notice that the dead ends get capped just as a pipe would, although this maze has many loops versus dead ends ( see below for additional examples with more dead ends! )

• Step 6 - Delete Your Guides

The Final Pipe Maze !

• Step 7 - Make the Maze Solution

Highlight the correct path in the final version of the maze to create the final maze solution (shown here in red). One other thing I have noticed when creating this type of maze is that while the making of it has a lot of complexity, sometimes the solve does not. Just look at this example. It really is a bit of an easy maze, or at least a maze that if you take a wrong turn you can still solve quickly,

ADDITIONAL PIPE MAZE EXAMPLES

Below is a more typical version of a Pipes Maze, but with no outline used (notice the large gaps without the guide to help), and a start and goal that are befitting of a pipe maze ! Also, there are lots of dead ends in this version vs loops.

I made a second Ohio Pipes maze below. Without context you might not know it is Ohio, but you could easily add a title or similar to convey that. Anyway, instead of an outline I used dead end pipes to make a kind of outline of Ohio, just to see how it would turn out.

My fourth example is a large size poster version of a Pipes Maze. I did not use any shadows so this looks a bit more bland than the other examples. IMO this also makes it more difficult to solve, but not necessarily in a good way, only because it is more difficult to see the crossings.. This also features more false pathways and crossing pipes. I think this is a fun maze to solve. Try it !

FREE PIPE MAZE SECTIONS

I start with a link to the largest pipe maze in the world (probably) if you want to challenge yourself. It has no dead ends (pipe caps) and uses loops throughout for the wrong pathways. Definitely a challenge.

I spent some time to make multiple pipe maze sections on the website. The beginner section, Kids Pipe Mazes features 10 mazes on screen and a free book to download of 40 different pipe mazes !

THE PIPE MAZE BOOK

And if you really like this type of maze and want more of a challenge, I made a book of 100 Pipe Mazes that I sell on Amazon. Clicking on the cover will take you to my Amazon author page.

FURTHER DESIGN READING - WEAVING MAZES

To go deeper on this subject I suggest the following. Explore the 10 different types of weaving maze styes, including pipes mazes and see which you prefer:

What is Your Preferred Weaving Maze Style ?

I also created a method to help create a complicated weaving maze that I found very helpful when making this maze type for adults. It applies for Pipe Mazes.

Creating a complicated Weaving Maze - an updated method

How to Make a Find Items and an Avoid Items Maze

In a series of posts I will show you how to make a maze in a wide variety of design constructions. The 17th and 18th type of maze constructions are the Find Items maze and the Avoid Items maze. Let’s define what I mean, then get into examples. These mazes are opposites and make sense to discuss together. Every how-to will use a simple square so you can compare the differences between each maze construction type. I will also show a consolidated secondary how-to using an irregular shape (the state of Ohio).

Here is an outline for this blog post with jump links if you want to skip ahead to a section:

MAZE DEFINITIONS

THE 5 RULES OF MAZE DESIGN

FIND ITEMS:

HOW TO MAKE A FIND ITEMS MAZE

HOW TO MAKE A FIND ITEMS MAZE - abbreviated writing & using a different shape

ADDITIONAL FIND ITEM MAZE EXAMPLES

AVOID ITEMS:

HOW TO MAKE AN AVOID ITEMS MAZE

ADDITIONAL AVOID ITEM MAZE EXAMPLES

FIND/AVOID MAZE MAKING TEMPLATE

MAZE DEFINITIONS:

Find Items Maze - A maze that requires the solver to visit specific places within the pathways or find items along the way before reaching the goal. To properly solve the maze restrictions may exist on where the solver goes first, second, etc.

Avoid Items Maze - A maze that requires the solver to avoid specific places within the pathways or avoid items along the way before reaching the goal. This can be considered the opposite of the Find Items Maze.

THE 5 RULES OF MAZE DESIGN:

These 5 rules apply to any maze you make so we start with them !

1. Always keep an open pathway for the solution

While drawing a maze you will need to juggle multiple open pathways each of which could become the solution. One of them will become the solution. Keep track of it. This is especially important if you are designing pathways in both directions (from the start and from the goal).

2. Clearly mark the start and goal, or the objective of the maze

A maze should have a start and a goal that you can assess just by glancing at it. There are many ways to start and end a maze I review in this blog post: Options for Starting and Ending a Maze

3. Ensure the difficulty matches the intended audience

Most people want to solve a puzzle/maze that is just slightly below or slightly above their skill level. Many things help determine the difficulty of a maze. Size, number of branches, the length of dead ends, the number of choices, the complexity of the rules (if the maze has them).

4. Ensure your maze has a solution

When your maze is complete, solve it to determine the difficulty level and to ensure it is a real, solvable maze. Depending on the complexity of the maze you may want to do this right away or wait so you can properly assess the difficulty.

5. Explain anything that needs explaining

Some mazes have rules or conditions. Explain them with directions. If it isn't obvious, make it so.

HOW TO MAKE A FIND ITEMS MAZE

Step 1 - Draw the Outline

The outline of the maze makes the outer wall of the maze. It can be anything from a simple shape like a square, to a complex picture. The outline should be thicker than the internal lines to give the maze definition. In the example below I chose the state of Ohio.

Step 1.5 - Choose the Start and Goal

For the below example I chose the start of Cleveland and the goal of Cincinnati.

Step 2 - Draw An Open Maze Structure

For this kids version draw an open maze with no dead ends. The maze is created by how the items are placed rather than by dead ends for this type of maze (although there is no rule about no having dead ends).

Step 3 (any time step) - Add Directions for the Solver

This step can be completed at any time. Ask the solver to find the items in the maze. Let them know of any conditions - Do they need to collect them in order ? Can they backtrack and visit a path more than once ?

Step 4 - Add the Find Items

In this example I added the pretzels that the solver must collect before reaching the goal. IF you add a condition that a solver can only visit a location once, you will need to map the solution out, then add the items.

Step 5 - Make the Maze Solution

Highlight the correct path in the final version of the maze to create the final Maze solution (shown here in red). Although not said in the instructions this maze can be made more difficult by adding the phrase “you may not visit a spot more than once” and the solution reflects that !

HOW TO MAKE A FIND ITEMS MAZE - abbreviated writing & using a different shape

This maze uses a different, but similar how-to as shown in the gallery.

Step 1 - Draw the Outline

Step 2 - Draw the Solution with Items

Step 3 - Complete the False Paths - This more difficult maze version does include dead ends.

Step 4 - Add Directions for the Solver

Step 5 (Optional) - Make the Maze Solution

HOW TO MAKE A FIND ITEMS MAZE - STEP 1

HOW TO MAKE A FIND ITEMS MAZE - STEP 2

HOW TO MAKE A FIND ITEMS MAZE - STEP 3

HOW TO MAKE A FIND ITEMS MAZE - STEP 4

HOW TO MAKE A FIND ITEMS MAZE - STEP 5 SOLUTION

ADDITIONAL FIND ITEM MAZE EXAMPLES

Another example of the Find items maze is the map of France below from my Countries of Europe maze book. Each country requires the solver to visit cities along the way to the goal, the capital of the country, in this case Paris. Maps work well for this maze type. Here the directions are on top are link the items to specific cities on the map.

For my second example I have made a Find Items maze for an older child. The format works very well for mazes meant for kids, including the use of fun objects/animals to create more enjoyable mazes. In this case a grasshopper and leaves.

HOW TO MAKE AN AVOID ITEMS MAZE

I did another abbreviated how-to for this. Nothing complicated. Watch the maze being made by clicking through the gallery. But I want to make this super easy to understand. The avoid item acts as a wall. Design a maze as you normally would and instead of drawing a wall add an avoid item. These 2 mazes are the same for an example:

Step 1 - Draw the Outline

Step 1.5 - Choose the Start and Goal

Step 2 - Start to Draw the Maze Walls

Step 3 - Continue Drawing Paths, Adding Avoid items

Step 4 - Complete the Maze

Step 5 - Add Directions for the Solver

Step 6 (Optional) - Make the Maze Solution

ADDITIONAL AVOID ITEM MAZE EXAMPLES

3 more avoid maze examples.

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FIND/AVOID MAZE MAKING TEMPLATE

This free downloadable basic template will work for either version.

How to Make a Directional Maze

In a series of posts I will show you how to make a maze in a wide variety of design constructions. The 16th type of maze construction is the Directional maze. Let’s define what I mean, then get into the example. I will show you an example using a basic outline (the state of Ohio) to illustrate the differences between each maze type, although this type of maze does not have a true shape !

Here is an outline for this blog post with jump links if you want to skip ahead to a section:

DIRECTIONAL MAZE DEFINITION

THE 5 RULES OF MAZE DESIGN

HOW TO MAKE A DIRECTIONAL MAZE

HOW TO MAKE A DIRECTIONAL MAZE - abbreviated writing & using a different shape

ADDITIONAL DIRECTIONAL MAZE EXAMPLES

DIRECTIONAL MAZE DEFINITION:

Directional Maze (may also called a Left Turn Maze or No Right Turn Maze, etc) - A maze where the solver must follow a specific directional rule at an intersection, like you can only turn left (or you can’t turn right) ! Can be applied to any number of conditions. This maze design ends up looking like a cut thru maze in that you travel ON the line.

THE 5 RULES OF MAZE DESIGN:

These 5 rules apply to any maze you make so we start with them !

1. Always keep an open pathway for the solution

While drawing a maze you will need to juggle multiple open pathways each of which could become the solution. One of them will become the solution. Keep track of it. This is especially important if you are designing pathways in both directions (from the start and from the goal).

2. Clearly mark the start and goal, or the objective of the maze

A maze should have a start and a goal that you can assess just by glancing at it. There are many ways to start and end a maze I review in this blog post: Options for Starting and Ending a Maze

3. Ensure the difficulty matches the intended audience

Most people want to solve a puzzle/maze that is just slightly below or slightly above their skill level. Many things help determine the difficulty of a maze. Size, number of branches, the length of dead ends, the number of choices, the complexity of the rules (if the maze has them).

4. Ensure your maze has a solution

When your maze is complete, solve it to determine the difficulty level and to ensure it is a real, solvable maze. Depending on the complexity of the maze you may want to do this right away or wait so you can properly assess the difficulty.

5. Explain anything that needs explaining

Some mazes have rules or conditions. Explain them with directions. If it isn't obvious, make it so.

How to Make a Directional Maze

Step 1 - Draw the Outline (Optional)

Most directional mazes WILL NOT have outlines, including this first example. The shape will be formed by the lines that you draw.

Step 2 - Draw the Solution

Starting from the outline of the maze draw a line to another point in the outline that will become your solution. Obviously the solution will need to follow whatever directional rule you have decided on. In the example below I used a left turn only rule. This makes the solution a series of loops.

Step 3 - Add False Paths

Add new possible pathways that will not lead to a solution. Where you can turn onto them, but they will lead to a dead end, or they will lead to an intersection that requires breaking the solution rules. In the example below the false paths are in red. Check to make sure you haven’t created any additional solutions.

Step 4 - Complete the Maze

Convert the lines to a common color to complete the maze. Add directions if needed.

Step 5 - Make the Maze Solution & add directions

Highlight the correct path in the final version of the maze to create the final maze solution (shown here in red). Ensure the maze has directions.

HOW TO MAKE A DIRECTIONAL MAZE - abbreviated writing & using a different shape

Step 1 - Draw the Outline (Optional) - Most directional mazes WILL NOT have outlines.

Step 2 - Draw the Solution

Step 3 - Add False Paths

Step 4 - Complete the Maze

Step 5 - Make the Maze Solution

HOW TO MAKE A DRIECTIONAL MAZE - ohio outline

HOW TO MAKE A DRIECTIONAL MAZE - draw the solution

HOW TO MAKE A DRIECTIONAL MAZE draw fake lines

HOW TO MAKE A DRIECTIONAL MAZE - convert to one color

HOW TO MAKE A DRIECTIONAL MAZE - solution

ADDITIONAL DIRECTIONAL MAZE EXAMPLES

Here is another example of a Directional maze, this is a Left Turn only maze with no outline/border.

Here is a similar looking directional maze that must be solved using right turns only.

And another right turn only example:

Interested in learning how to make or draw other types of digital mazes ? I have step by step instructions on how to make over 40 different maze types.

If you prefer making labyrinths, you can find step by step labyrinth making instructions.

How to Make a Hidden Message Maze

In a series of posts I will show you how to make a maze in a wide variety of design constructions. The 15th type of maze construction is the Hidden Message maze. Let’s define what I mean, then get into the example. My how to example will be in the shape of Ohio, while all additional examples and case studies will be rectangular.

Here is an outline for this blog post with jump links if you want to skip ahead to a section:

HIDDEN MESSAGE MAZE DEFINITION

THE 5 RULES OF MAZE DESIGN

HOW TO MAZE A HIDDEN MESSAGE MAZE

HIDDEN MAZE CASE STUDIES

ADDITIONAL HIDDEN MESSAGE MAZE TYPES

MAZED LETTER TEMPLATES

ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES AND FREE DOWNLOADABLE MAZE BOOK

MAKING A HIDDEN MAZE VIDEO

HIDDEN MESSAGE MAZE DEFINITION:

Hidden Message Maze - A maze of any type of construction that when solved, the correct path contains a hidden written message. The maze maker should have a goal to make the message as hidden as possible in an unsolved maze.

THE 5 RULES OF MAZE DESIGN:

These 5 rules apply to any maze you make so we start with them !

1. Always keep an open pathway for the solution

While drawing a maze you will need to juggle multiple open pathways each of which could become the solution. One of them will become the solution. Keep track of it. This is especially important if you are designing pathways in both directions (from the start and from the goal).

2. Clearly mark the start and goal, or the objective of the maze

A maze should have a start and a goal that you can assess just by glancing at it. There are many ways to start and end a maze I review in this blog post: Options for Starting and Ending a Maze

3. Ensure the difficulty matches the intended audience

Most people want to solve a puzzle/maze that is just slightly below or slightly above their skill level. Many things help determine the difficulty of a maze. Size, number of branches, the length of dead ends, the number of choices, the complexity of the rules (if the maze has them).

4. Ensure your maze has a solution

When your maze is complete, solve it to determine the difficulty level and to ensure it is a real, solvable maze. Depending on the complexity of the maze you may want to do this right away or wait so you can properly assess the difficulty.

5. Explain anything that needs explaining

Some mazes have rules or conditions. Explain them with directions. If it isn't obvious, make it so.

HOW TO MAZE A HIDDEN MESSAGE MAZE

• Step 1 - Draw the Outline

The outline of the maze makes the outer wall of the maze. It can be anything from a simple shape like a square, to a complex picture. The outline should be thicker than the internal lines to give the maze definition. In the example below I chose the state of Ohio.

• Step 1.5 - Choose the Start and Goal

For Hidden Message mazes the start and goal will typically start on the left of the outline with the goal on the right of the outline since you are writing in English. If hiding a message in other languages you may go right to left.

• Step 2 - Write the Guide Message

On the inside of the outline write the message you would like to hide in the maze. This will be your guide as you make the maze walls. Make sure the size is large enough to allow two passes of maze paths to make a letter. If your letters are too small you will not be able to hide the message as easily as drawing the pathways will become too difficult.

Quick Tip: The smaller the width of the pathways you use the easier it will be to hide a message. It is also easier for the solver to read the message when complete since a narrow pathway is filled more easily than a wide one by drawing a single line with a writing utensil.

• Step 3 - Maze the Hidden Message

Draw lines to create the maze walls, completing a letter at a time while moving left to right while creating the maze. As I mentioned before, the letters should be at least two pathways thick to ensure each letter can be made properly.

Entrances and exits to each letter should align.

Connect the letters to complete the message.

• Step 4 - Draw the False Pathways

After deleting the guide word, fill in the rest of the maze with false pathways. A decision you need to make is how much of an option you want these paths to actually be. Do you want the solver to actually possibly select the paths or would you prefer the maze solver follows a labyrinth path to automatically create the hidden message ? The below example allows the solver to fail by selecting false paths.

• Step 5 - Complete the Maze

Complete all false branches and assess how hidden your message actually is. In the example below do you know what the message is ? I believe it is well hidden.

• Step 6 - Make the Maze Solution

For a Hidden Message Maze this step is NOT optional. You need to see how the final product actually looks. Fill the correct pathway completely and see how you did ! I think the example came out well. If I could go back and make one change I would change the h to an H to make the “HI” more easily read. However, based on the context and construction of the maze I think it reads Ohio easily (unless you are not from the US, or unfamiliar with the state). If you do not like what you have made make some last minute adjustments !

So now you should be able to make a maze with a hidden message inside it, or a maze whose solution spells a word.

HIDDEN MAZE CASE STUDIES

If you want to see an alternative Case Study of the making of a hidden maze, I have a blog post about that also. In that version I use a variety of pre-made maze letters hidden in a maze to (hopefully) confuse the solver, fill the maze space and create a hidden maze.

I also delve into solving a maze (it also happens to be a hidden maze) using a reverse solve method in a separate case study.

ADDITIONAL HIDDEN MESSAGE MAZE TYPES

Before I show you more examples, let’s give you a quick example of the second type of Hidden Message Maze, the Hidden Message Trail Maze. While both mazes hide messages for the solver, the trail maze uses actual letters to hide the message for the solver instead of pathways forming the letters. If you want a similar step by step process to learn How to Make a Hidden Trail Message Maze, I have it. In the example below passing over a letter adds it to your message. The initial path options are “There are…” up and to the right, “The beard…” going down or “The Best…” moving to the left. Good Luck !

Hidden Message Trail Maze

I made a free downloadable book of Hidden Message Trail Mazes if they interest you. I added a few twists, including the addition of clues and the use of clues/idioms. You can check it out in the free downloadable book section. To give you an idea of what these are, can you solve this one ? The clues are the object (the basketball), the type of saying (a quote by Wilt Chamberlain) and the length of the words in the saying (shown by the dashes below the maze).

MAZED LETTER TEMPLATES

If you want to see a variety of ways to maze individual letters I show them in this post. I include examples here for your reference. Click on an image to see a larger version of it.

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ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES AND FREE DOWNLOADABLE MAZE BOOK

Here is a another example of a Hidden Message Maze. These particular templates are all used for greeting cards. I have collected 34 different versions in a free downloadable Hidden Maze Book if you are up for a challenge. The pathway for this purpose does not have any choices (like a labyrinth) to ensure completion by the solver. I give extra examples to test just how good the messages are hidden in each one. Can you look at the maze and see what it says ? I certainly hope not !! The construction of these all use the standard equal construction (meaning the width of the pathways and the width of the walls are equal).

If you like this challenge I have made it into 4 separate blog post challenges, 3 parts with 10 messages in English, and 1 part with a few Spanish words:

Hidden Message Maze challenge - Part 1

Hidden Message Maze challenge - Part 2

Hidden Message Maze challenge - Part 3

Desafío Laberinto de mensajes ocultos

Consider solving this with a pen, a marker, or a pencil. The narrow width of the pathways make the solution much more obvious when solved than wider pathways would. I also hid incorrect letter shaped pathways in the mazes to help confuse the solver.

MAKING A HIDDEN MAZE VIDEO

Finally, If you want to watch a quick 2 minute video of the making of a simple hidden message maze. Before you click play do you know what it says ?

Additional post you may like:

Interested in learning how to make or draw other types of digital mazes ? I have step by step instructions on how to make over 40 different maze types.

If you prefer making labyrinths, you can find step by step labyrinth making instructions.

The 12 Best Maze - Labyrinth movies of all time

Creating a Hidden Maze Case Study