How to do fancy things to your Blogger template | How About Orange

October 19, 2007

How to do fancy things to your Blogger template

Note: this post is now super old and probably obsolete.

I'll be the first to admit I am a print designer, not a web programmer. I am html-challenged. But by some miracle, I was able last night to convert this blog to a three-column template all by myself! Which means you can do it, too. Everything I know about altering a standard Blogger template I learned from my friend Google. Here are the tutorials I've used for doing stuff to my blog, in case you want to try it:

How to make your sidebar links open in new windows

How to convert your Blogger template to three columns

Note: If you do attempt to monkey around and get stuck, please don't ask me to review your code. That does not sound like fun to me. Post your question in the forum following the tutorial you're using. And remember: before making any changes to your template, download a backup copy of it or you might be reeeaally sorry.

47 comments:

Lisa said...

Ummm, I LOVE you. I saw your site change and wondered "how'd she do that? I can never figure out the HTML stuff I need for my blog, etc...". I am so going to these links right now. Site look great, as always!

Kathleen said...

Genius. And perfectly timed as I've just bought a domain and I feel as though I've entered a different country where I don't know the language. Thanks!

Jenna Lou said...

sweet sweet sweet!!! I've been wanting to do this for so long. Thanks for the links... so helpful :D

Bela said...

I love you too! You are such a sweetie!

Unknown said...

great post. i have people ask me all the time how i got my three columns and i honestly don't think i could re-create. i'll send them your way now.

Jennifer (mom of four) said...

It looks great!!!

Thanks for the links!

Jessica Jones said...

Glad to help. I spent hours floundering around cluelessly trying to find out how to do this stuff, so if I can save anybody some time, that's good.

Style Saves the World said...

Brilliant! Thank you!!

ChiefFamilyOfficer said...

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I never would have guessed that this is something I could manage to do (and I have been dreaming of a left sidebar for quite a while now).

Heather Moore said...

Hey, thanks for these links. I reckon this is the perfect reason to turn my back on that monolithic task in front of me and go look at the internet :)
Cheers,
Heather

Marichelle said...

Thank you so much... I spent hours trying to do this a couple of months ago only to revert back to my original template (spacing was all screwy). You always provide the best links - love the brushes, free fonts and graphic paper! Thanks again!!

Anina said...

Thanks for the 3 column link. I've been trying to do that and couldn't figure it out. That blog is wonderful!

perfect bound said...

So worth the time and energy (and shouting) it took to glam it up. I just wish I found your post sooner. Do you have any idea how to fancy up the sidebar fonts as well?

Whatever Dee-Dee wants said...

Thank you thank you!

lsaspacey said...

Thank you!! You are the bees knees!

Lacy said...

Hi Jessica. I just followed your tutorial, and I'm so pumped about it! Thanks for providing the link. I've been looking through your blog and it's one of my new favorites. I'll be checking back often.

Joy!
lacy

Oh-and I'm SO an orange girl. ;)

Anonymous said...

Brilliant. Thanks so much. I have been wanting to change my blog to 3 columns. Now maybe I can :)

Holly said...

So, what's HTML??? Just found your blog and think it's amazing. Very crafty girl! Could spend all day following links!

People St.Clair said...

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! I've been trying to figure this out and have had such a hard time. I'm going to use these links.

Emily said...

I have to add my thank you's, too! When I starting blogging on Blogger, I was bummed because I thought the three-column look TypePad defaults to looked so much more aesthetically pleasing. But I haven't had the time to tinker or research this topic! I am sooo going to put this to good use. THANKS!

Pink Stitches said...

Hi Jess!
Thanks for the tip - Been searching under blogger help groups for ages as just about understand computers let alone html! Thanks for the link so easy just to copy and paste what I need for 3 columns! My blog looks much better.
Love your blog and glad to see a fellow button coverer! But love what you did with the tacks! :o)
CraftyB x

Ariadna Ramley said...

I´ve wanted to have a 3 columns layout for so long, thank you so much for sharing this info with us=)

PaperCourt said...

Thanks for the tip. I just updated my family blog with a new header. It looks superb!

Cara said...

just wanted to add my thanks too! i've been wanting a three column blog for so long!

Jessica Jones said...

Glad to help, folks. About using fancy sidebar fonts, here's my limited understanding: If your sidebar items are live text, you must make sure every person viewing them has that fancy font installed on their computer, in order for them to view it. Which will never happen. So you must make your fancy font items into image files and upload those. But I don't know how to adjust the template code to allow for that. Another task for Google someday... if anybody finds out, let me know, too!

Michelle said...

Oh yeah, this is cool, thanks for the info!

Selya said...

This is really great! Thank you for share!:)

patricia zapata said...

Oh this is great Jessica! Thanks for sharing! :)

Pythea said...

I do have to say you inspired me to change my Blog. It looked very amateurish and after having done a thorough reading of your blog I decided to take some of your advice and modifiy mine...am quite happy with the result (although still have dare to add a third column!). Thanks for the help!

The Paris Apartment said...

YOU are very generous! thank you for taking the time to tell us all that...i have a blogger blog that's dumbfounded me since the day i started it and now i'll give it another whirl!

Carrie @carrieloves said...

you are a goddess! thanks!

Marmadaisy said...

THANKS so much for posting this.

Bibbi said...

I'm joining the thankful crowd. Will start in a small scale but will always remember whom to feel grateful to. Also thank you for the inspiring blog!

bluerot said...

oh my goodness!...and
thank you, thank you, thank you!
I've been keen for three columns for a wee while but never know how to do it - can't wait to get stuck into it!

Enjoy Celebrations and Occasions said...

OK, one more thanks! I have gone to that same blog page many times, but have never had it work out quite right. You have given me new inspiration! I have a new project for this weekend!

Jessica Jones said...

Good luck to you!

Grandma G said...

Even this ol' grandma managed to get 3 columns set up nicely, thanks to you! You're the BEST!!

Love you,
Mum

elle said...

Yay! I've always wanted three columns. Thanks for the links!

laura tj said...

this is great! thanks for the tips!

Kelly said...

Thank you! I've wanted to know how to make my links open in new windows! I followed the instructions and wha-la done! Thank you!!!! -kb

Tricia said...

thank you so much for this post. i appreciate not only that you admit that you don't know how to program, but that you share the information you have found. not everyone would do that. i'm proud to say that i am now a three-column blog! thanks

Aloutka said...

I browse your blog at least once a week searching for design inspiration. Tonight I found this old post and wanted to update my blog imidiately - but I couldn't! I will try again. But this post seems to be really helpful anyway :)

Larissa Holland said...

hey, I found this link so helpful. I changed mine to 3 columns a while back, and forgot to say thanks then. Now I used this post to modify my links to open in a new window, so thanks twice!

KAT! said...

Have you said which blogger template you started with?

Jessica Jones said...

It was Minima.

The Educated Plate said...

Thank you, thank you, thank you -- yes, I know you've heard it all before, but I just had to say it again! My blog is still so very new and I'm feeling frustrated by its design. Your post as well as the link to "Tip for New Bloggers" is going to help me out a great deal. I'm going to cross my fingers and go for it!

Anonymous said...

Okay. I love you too. I was looking for this last night and then I came here for something completely different. Thanks!