Is it free to make your own Minecraft skin?

Creating skins for the game "Minecraft" is completely free. However, a user must purchase the full version of the game in order to be able to use custom skins inside the game.

Many websites like Minecraft.Novaskin.me and Minecraftskins.com allow users to create skins for free and offer the chance to edit every aspect and part of the character's model. The finished skin is then available for download as an image file. In order to use the newly created skin, a user must access his profile page on the official game website, Minecraft.net, and upload the image file. Only users who purchase the game have the ability to access this option.