How to Make a Bar Graph in Excel: 9 Steps (with Pictures) May 02, 2022 · Open Microsoft Excel. It resembles a white "X" on a green background. A blank spreadsheet should open automatically, but you can go to File > New > Blank if you need to. If you want to create a graph from pre-existing data, instead double-click the Excel document that contains the data to open it and proceed to the next section.