How to Make a Blog Skin

Let your blog stand out by making a unique blog skin.

When it comes to launching a successful blog, first impression is everything. If you want to keep your readers coming back for more, then a personalized, attractive blog skin that sets it apart from others is key. Choosing from myriad pre-made blog skins is overwhelming and you also risk giving your blog a negative impression by making it look too common or generic. Making your own blog skin, therefore, will help it stand out, and with some basic knowledge of HTML, you'll be well-equipped to create your own unique blog skin.

Things You'll Need

• Text-editing program (Notepad, WordPad, Edit or Text Editor)
• HTML source book (see Resources)

Instructions

1. Find a template that has the blogskin you like. You can either search for blogskins randomly through other blogs or from a website that specializes in blogskins (see Resources for suggestions).

2. Copy the HTML code of the blogskin you like (if you find one through another person's blog) by clicking "View" on your web browser's menu option. Scroll down and click "Page Source". The Page Source of that person's blog will open on a new window.

3. Right-click on the Page Source window and choose the "Select All" option. Copy the highlighted text (which is the HTML source code).

4. Open your text-editing program. Paste in the HTML source code and save the new file to your desktop. Keep in mind that this new file will be the template for your new blogskin.

5. If you search for a skin that you like on a specialized blogskin website, download the template and save the file on your desktop as a TXT file.

6. Alter the HTML source codes to meet your own specifications using the TXT file that you saved on your desktop and an HTML source book as a helpful guide. A helpful website for source codes is Web Source (see Resources).

7. Save your new TXT blog template and copy the whole file. Paste the new file into the "Edit HTML" section on your blog's template.

Tips & Warnings

• Read through a reliable HTML source book or website prior to altering codes.

• Be aware that altering HTML codes is time-consuming if you are new to the process. Be patient and expect to make some mistakes along the way.

References

• Six Seven: How to Make a Blogskin
• BlogSkins: How to Create Blogskins

Resources

• Blog Skins
• iBlogskins Design
• Web Source: Website Design and Web Development Guide
• "HTML for Dummies"; Ed Tittel and Stephen J. James; IDG Books Worldwide, Inc; 1997
• "The Ultimate HTML Resource"; Ian Lloyd; Sitepoint; 2008