How to do fancy things to your Blogger template, Part 2 | How About Orange

September 24, 2008

How to do fancy things to your Blogger template, Part 2

Note: this post is now super old and likely useless. Blogger has added new templates and functionality since I wrote this in 2008.

I've been fiddling with my template again, folks. Trying to make it easier to find things around here. I shocked myself the other night when I managed to pull off that navigation bar at the top. And check out that search box! (Yes, there is already a search box in the Blogger nav bar at the very top, but apparently it's overlooked by dozens of people because I continually get emails asking "Where's that post I saw once?") So that you, too, can do super fancy things to your blog (stop laughing, real web programmers), I give you these helpful links:

How to make a favicon (that little icon next to your blog's address)

A site that will make the .ico file for you (this will make sense when you read the tutorial above)

How to add a navigation bar to your header, parts one and two

How to add a search box

And if you missed the first installment of How To Do Fancy Things To Your Blogger Template, click here.

Thank you very much, Tips for New Bloggers.

56 comments:

Lotussooz said...

YAY!!! thansk fo rthe info.. this is great. You always post the best stuff!

Mary Gondola said...

Your improvements are lovely! The new header is just perfect for your site! Thanks for posting this information. I'm always wondering how to do those sorts of things, but I never knew where to look!

Shauna said...

just another reason to love you and your blog. is love a strong word?!

thanks!

NyteRayn said...

Oh I struggle with making blogger bend to my whims too! Thank you for the tips!!!

Michelle Engel Bencsko said...

*Jeeaaaaaaaallllous!*

I've been wanting to do this! When I have a few hours to kill piddling away at blogger, I'll try this out.

I finally, after what seemed like ages, figured out the collapsable sidebar sections. I may add images in place of words someday (ie, see above).

Looks great!

Lindsey said...

You must have been reading my mind. This is the exact type of tutorial I have been searching for. Thank you!

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much! I've been wanting to change my favicon forever, but couldn't remember what the darn thing was called! :)

Love your blog!

Live a Colorful Life said...

I'm almost ready to start posting on my new blog so these are very helpful hints. Thanks! Your blog is my biggest inspiration.

maritessb said...

wow.. thanks for doing this. i've been trying to find some useful tutorial forever!!!!

Anonymous said...

You must have been reading my mind! I was just searching for this kind of info last night, and couldn't find anything helpful. You rock!!

Vacuum Queen said...

Yay! I noticed your little nav bar on top the other day and oohed and ahhed appropriately at the time. :) Thanks for sharing.
I'd send you a cool tip right back if I had one. Sorry.

Ashlee said...

Jessica, is it okay if I just say that I love you. That's it really.
And the changes look great, by the way.

Jessica Jones said...

It is okay.

Michelle said...

nice work! thank you so much for sharing how to do it!! that's very sweet of you.

Marcie said...

Woohoo! I can't wait to make my blog fancy too!

Sharyn said...

Thank you so much for these tips! I'll definitely give it a try now (have been to nervous to start).

loving. living. small. said...

Thanks for the tips!! Although I can't seem to find Imagicon for mac. hmmm. I'll keep working on it.

My 2 biggest issues/questions are:
1) How to center images within the sidebar?

2) How to place my own created title instead of using Blogger's title line?

If you have any ideas for me I would be forever grateful!

Rebecca :)

Jessica Jones said...

Don't bother downloading any utilities like Imagicon. Just use the online tool in the second link in the post. How to center images... not sure. You'll probably have to create an html page element in your sidebar and find some code for inserting and aligning the image. How to make your own post titles... no idea. Sorry! Try searching on Tips for New Bloggers, which I linked to.

Jo said...

That's fantastic, thank you! I've been wanting to add a bar at the top!

Amber said...

Awesome! This is SO useful - thanks Jessica - you're the bestest :D

Jenn said...

i love your site!! thank you thank you thank you!

Janet Josselyn said...

You are freakin awesome! Thank you so much. I can't wait to try some of these nifty ideas.

tricia said...

Thank you! I am horrible with code and customizing, this info is so helpful:)

Anonymous said...

bahhh. i really need to swap from Typepad to Blogspot!

elena said...

Jess, this is so cool – thank you! Your site looks great. Now if I could just get the header in mine to fill the template box I'll be happy...I will do what bloggers do: go play around, now armed with more info!

Casey said...

Thanks for the awesome tips! I'm always fiddling with my blog!

Mundane Jane said...

You know though, I do miss the sweet picture you used to have with the chair and the curtains--all bright and lovely and inviting-y.

But isn't that always the way? There's always somebody finding fault.

Anonymous said...

I just added a favicon! It looks great! By the way, I *love* your blog.

Claudia said...

I loved you for sharing the tips in part 1 and now I love you even more for part 2! Thanks!!! You're fabulous!

Larissa Holland said...

so cool. i used a bunch from your original fancy up your blog post, so I know this will be equally helpful. you are a swell human being.

With a Flourish said...

Thanks so much for sharing! I have a computer science degree & programmed websites in a former life and I STILL find Blogger so confusing! So not all techie types would be laughing at you... at least not this one! :)

With a Flourish said...

Rebecca- A tip I read before to make the saved page title what you want... Blogger will use whatever words (I think maybe the 1st four words?) are in your title when you initially publish it. So publish with a 'title' full of keywords & then immediately edit to have the title you really want.

AJLinBoston said...

Hi there! I love reading your blog, you always have such great ideas. I've tagged you in the Sept. 25th post at my blog to list 7 random things about yourself. Hope you'd like to participate and pass the fun along to other bloggers! The rules and a graphic about the game are at my blog.

ANNE said...

Sweet. I added a favicon to my blog a while back, but it only shows in Firefox and not Internet Explorer. Any ideas? I'll have to look into it. Thanks!

Yana Kapeli said...

This is great! Thanks a million.

Petit Elefant said...

Thank you so much. Seriously, I needed all that help. And I needed tutorial style a la Orange. By the way, I posted your vinyl shade tutorial on Petit Elefant the other day.
Thanks so much.

counselor kristal said...

I want three columns in my blog, but my site is being difficult about it!

:x

kristal @ aksarbenlove

Shannon said...

Soooooo much fun! Thanks for posting this, it was so helpful!

Camille said...

Thanks so much! This is everything I've been looking for, but didn't even know how to search Google for!

And your blog is looking great.

Unknown said...

Thanks for the info. I love your blog.
Bye,
Marianne.

andrea of ffft said...

YOU ROCK!! As usual... I so want to make my own flavi whatever. I am very excited...

I made a pillow in orange yesterday with you in mind. You seem to come to mind now whenever orange is present. Hmmmm... interesting. I have dedicated a pillow to somebody I have never met. The www is an interesting phenomenon. This blog makes me happy though. I'll send you a picture! :)

Jessica Jones said...

Fabulous, Andrea!

Chicca said...

thanks,thanks,thanks,thank you so much!!!! I just was wondering how you can change that little cute image (favicon!!!) plus my blog is a mess...so this is a perfect post for me!!!!
Thanks!!

Michelle said...

Can I just tell you how much fun I've been having! Thank you!!

patricia zapata said...

This is great!! I've been wanting to do some of these things for a long time. Thank you for sharing!!

Linda said...

I only discovered your blog this summer and I LOVE it! I am so glad just to find the link to part 1 and finally have 3 columns. When I have some more time I'm going to go nuts and add some more cool stuff. THANKS!

Mrs. Egg said...

Thanks for the link. Love it! Love your blog too!

Elizabeth said...

I am now thinking I am having an 'oh crap' moment. I moved my biz blog AWAY from blogger because I couldn't do navigation tabs at the top!!! Oh well, I have moved it around to much, I think I will just leave it at typepad...otherwise, my clients might leave me!!! (www.elizabethengelhardtcreations.com) if you want to check it out for yourself. Thanks for the tips though...now I am going to go do a search on your blog for something specific!! Heehee!!

Carissa(GoodnCrazy) said...

I did it! I totally did it! You inspired me AGAIN!!!

One link isn't working...yet...how the heck do you work your archives into a post so you can link to it, eh?

Oh well, I did it!

Jessica Jones said...

Uh.... I don't know!

Robyn said...

Than you Jessica! This post is one of the reasons I keep coming back to How About Orange! You have the greatest resources!

The Educated Plate said...

I hope you don't mind me saying -- "you are my new hero!"

Helen Cuthbert said...

Wow thanks for the great info...I am definately going to try and work out the 3 columns as I really wanted to know to do that!!

hungry little bird said...

Jess, thank you so much for this. There's so much I want to do with my blog... this will help save me time in searching around the web for tips.

Unknown said...

Thank you so so so so much! These tips are invaluable to a beginner blogger like me. I am NOT computer illiterate, but I just don't have the time to find what I need. Or even know what I need to look for. I just did the favicon tutorial, and it took me literally 5 minutes! I was shocked. My husband was peeved that I could do that. LOL. I hope I can do my blog justice with the tips you have provided. Thanx again!

Hannah- Art.Paper.Scissors.Glue! said...

So.... I've discovered your blog today and have been scrolling through the DIY projects and bookmarking them for probably the last two hours. I saw this post on the favicon and went straight to my blog to do it and it turns out about a month ago Blogspot added this to their draft page! Ha! Either way, I'm excited it's much easier now, but I do love all your tips! I'm officially a subscriber : ).