Write the two numbers that you will multiply. Write the number with the fewer digits under the larger value. If the numbers have the same number of digits, it doesn't matter which number you place on top or bottom. Line up the place values of the numbers. An example is as follows:
562
x 21
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Multiply each digit of the top number by the digit in the tens place and write it under the answer line. In this example, you would multiply 562 by 1, which gives you 562.
Write a zero under the ones place of the answer that you wrote in Step 2. Multiply the digits of the problem's top number by the tens place of the second number. In this example, you would multiply 562 by 2. Start by multiplying 2 times 2 to get 4. Write the 4 in the tens position next to the zero that you wrote earlier. Multiply 2 times 6 to get 12. Write the 2 (the ones digit of the number 12) to the left of the 4 that you wrote previously. Carry the 1 over to the next column and write it above the 5. Then multiply 2 times 5 to get 10. Add the 1 that you carried to make 11. Write this 11 to the left of the 2. You should have the answer 11,240.
Add zeros as needed when multiplying larger numbers. Since the example problem had two digits in the bottom number, you had to add one zero when beginning to multiply with the tens digit. If you were multiplying with a digit in the thousands place, you would add two zeros. You would follow this pattern according to the number of digits in the number that you were using.