Blissful and Domestic - Creating a Beautiful Life on Less: Revamping Your Blog
Showing posts with label Revamping Your Blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Revamping Your Blog. Show all posts

Friday, August 1, 2014

Blogging 101: DIY Blog Header

Blogging 101: DIY Blog Header 

Good Morning lovelies! I often get emails asking me who does my blog design. Many of you are bloggers yourself and want to know how to create a beautiful space on the web, without spending a fortune. Well today I am letting you in on the behind the scenes, where my blog is concerned. All you see, here in my little piece of the web, has been created by me. I have always had a love for design. Being able to be creative is what drives me. Whether it is sewing new pillows for my house or creating graphics for my blog, I am love with the creativity behind it all.

Over the next few days, weeks, months.....umm how ever long it takes to me to share all those behind the scene goodies....I  will share the various tips and tricks to help you create a beautiful blog, without spending a lot of money. You can do most of this for free too (my favorite four letter word).

I thought today we would start out with creating a blog header. This is one of the most important parts of your blog, other then amazing content, because it is what readers see first when coming to your site. Your header ultimately becomes your brand label, so you want something that you love and your readers will love as well.


Blogging 101: DIY Blog Header


For me I love fun bright colors. I can't have my bedroom painted pink, something about Hubby saying it isn't manly, so I choose to have all the pink I can get represented on this blog. This is my girlie haven right here, in all it's chevron and pink glory:)

The graphics that I use on my blog come from KH Digi. I absolutely LOVE Kylie's designs. They are absolutely beautiful and she always has amazing sales. Right now she is having a 75% off summer sale. I just snagged a bunch of goodies for the blog, all for under $4. When buying graphics, that I will use on the blog, I look for bright colors and fun patterns. I also look for items that are within my frugal price range. I have not spent more then $10 on my blog design graphics. I like to keep it that way. Nice and low, which means more money left in my pocket.

For creating my blog header, I use the photo editing site, PicMonkey. I've been using it since it started a few years ago and have nothing but great things to say about it. I edit all my pictures using Picmonkey. It is great because they have tons of free options, so if buying a yearly membership is not in the budget, that's ok, all their basic editing features are free. They have tons of filters, graphics, and fonts that are free as well.

When beginning to create your blog header, go to the main PicMonkey site. Choose "design" to get started.

Blogging 101: DIY Blog Header

You will want to create a header that is 887 X 222 or in that ball park, depending on the width of your blog. Click "custom" and then insert your dimensions

Blogging 101: DIY Blog Header

Next, make your canvas transparent

Blogging 101: DIY Blog Header

If you want to add graphics or images to your header, you can do that through "the overlays" option or "butterfly" in the sidebar. You can also add your own, which is how I got my colorful bunting at the top of my header. I purchased all of my digital goodies from KH Digi via Etsy.

Blogging 101: DIY Blog Header

Blogging 101: DIY Blog Header

Add your graphics and have fun with it. Be creative and try new things :)

Blogging 101: DIY Blog Header

Once your graphics are situated, add your blog name.

Blogging 101: DIY Blog Header

There are so many fabulous fonts to choose from and you can even use your own personal fonts as well! I have found a bunch here to download for free!

Blogging 101: DIY Blog Header

Once your header is exactly how you want it, save it! I like to keep all of my blog things organized in separate folders on my laptop. It helps keep all my blog stuff organized and exactly where I know it will be!

Blogging 101: DIY Blog Header


Now all you have to do is add it to your blog. If you are using blogger, you go into the "layout" section of the dashboard and add the graphic to your header section.

I hope this helps y'all who are wanting to create a blog of your own. Blogging is a great way to share a little bit about your passion with the world. Blogging is a great way to be creative and meet so many wonderful people from around the world.

So what other DIY blogger tutorials would you like to see?


XO Danielle
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Friday, April 27, 2012

Using Touch Up Tools in PicMonkey.com


Alright lovelies I have another PicMonkey tutorial for you today. If you missed my first you can find it here.Today I got to have some fun with all of the touch up tools that PicMonkey has. Seriously so fun! Here is the picture I started out with.

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and I turned it into this
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Want the tips? Well read on....

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Using PicMonkey.com: A Simple How-to


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picmonkey2

Alright lovelies, as promised I have a PicMonkey.com tutorial for you today. Now in my other Revamp Your Blog posts, I've shown you how to make fun, fabulous buttons and tabs for your blog, via Picnik. Well sadly Picnik is no more, but I have another great photo editing program for you, which I absolutely love right now. It is PicMonkey.com Today I am going to go over the basics of PicMonkey and then tomorrow I have another tutorial on using the really fun touch up tools they have. Right now everything is free via Picmonkey.com, so take advantage while it is free.

I want to show you how I took my nephew's picture and enhanced it.

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Now onto the tutorial.....

Saturday, February 18, 2012

{Revamping Your Blog} Tab Section Part 2

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So first off I didn't realize how much a would like writting these revamp your blog posts. They're time consuming, but I love hearing all the you guys are doing with them. It is seriously so awesome! So I am glad these can be of use. Keep sending me e-mails telling me things you want to learn. If I know how to do it I will let you know. Thursday you learned about advertisers, today we are going to go back to the TAB section I talked about a while ago. You can find part 1 HERE. Today we are moving onto part 2. Sorry it took me so long to write this one up. No excuse, just needed to find the time.

So lets revamp that tab section.....


First things first....Have you all noticed cute tabs on peoples blogs?
Usually they are in cute fonts and such.
Well let me tell you how they do that...
Oh and this is how I did the tabs under my header.

It is simple....I swear.....

upload a blank page of digital scrapbook paper to Photobucket.com
You can google a white scrapbook page or go to a digital scrap-booking site like ShabbyPrincess.com
They have great FREE downloads there. I use them a lot when doing my buttons and banners.
Their stuff is too cute!
Now that you have a blank slate you can type out what you want your tabs to say.
This can be done in Photobuckets editing mode.

I type out a bunch. Some I use, some I don't. I use brackets a lot.
Just love those little things.
They're too cute!

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Now comes the even simplier part, just a bit time consuming.

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You are going to start cropping and creating new pics from this one original picture.

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Every time you crop a word you will SAVE A COPY

This is important. If you accidentally replace the original,
just re-upload another original into your Photobucket account.

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Once you have cropped all your words
you can start adding them to your blog.


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Go into the design section of your blog.


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Add a html gadget
Copy and paste the html codes from photobucket into your gadget.

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click RICH TEXT

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Click on each picture and link it to whatever page you want it to be Before I started, I opened up every single page I wanted linked in my new tab section. I just copy and pasted these addresses into my gadget. Use the link button in the gadget.
Remember it looks like two links together

Move all your pictures so they are side by side

Save.

At first your gadget will go to your sidebar.
Just move it to the top under the header.

Does this makes sense? I hope I am explaining it right.
Let me know if I need to clarify.

Once you have finished all this you should have a very cute looking tab section.
Let me know if you have any more questions or if something needs to be clarified. I also need to thank Amanda from The Little Giggler. She is the lovely lady who originally showed me how to do this.


See having great bloggy friends is awesome. 
You can teach each other the different tricks to having a cute blog.


Anywho I hope this helps and look forward to more revamping your blog.
I think next week we will make blog buttons.
I had a request for that.

Also let me know what else you are curious about on my blog or someone else's.
Hopefully I can help.
Thanks always for your sweetness.
You guys rock!


Find More Revamping Your Blog Posts Here.


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{PS}
Remember I am a Mom & Wife
not a Graphic Designer.
I never pretend to be one 
These are just the things I do to make my blog cute.
Why buy it when you can do it yourself? That is always my motto
And perfect for my theme of a Homemade Year.

{PPS}
Thankyou GLEE soundtrack for keeping me going at 1:00 am
so I can work on blogging posts. Best music EVER!


Oh and here's a video.
My favorite GLEE song right now.





Have a wonderful Saturday!

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Thursday, February 16, 2012

{Revamping Your Blog} Blog Loving Series #1

Hello Lovelies! I am so excited for this post today.
A few weeks ago my good bloggy friend M, from The Artsy Girl Connection, asked me to join in a fun series she was starting. I was more than excited. Here on Blissful and Domestic we've been revamping our blogs and here is another way to get those blogs looking fabulous. So let's find out how this blog loving series is going to work.......

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BLOG L O V I N G!!!

Ever wanted to know what your reader’s thought of your blog..? I DO, who doesn’t…? ..

Although we get awesome, creative cute comments and inspirations to tweak things to meet periodic creative goals, at times I often wonder, what else do YOU think..? What would you say I needed to improve upon or change..? What would you like to see more of, or recommend to improve upon YOUR visits here..??? Well, I figured NOW is a great time with the new year in full swing to BE IN THE KNOW and simply COME OUT AND ASK YOU!!!! 

 






What's Your Take On It..?

I am co-hosting this awesome series 'Blog Loving' with some lovely ladies who will all be joining in to assist with feedback's, successful blog tips on engaging your reader's, tips on maintaining a healthy and effective blog schedule and a great chance to get your reader's personal perspective in helping you mold the best blog space you can for your content, and who it's reaching creatively and as effectively as possible! Want to join in.? Hop along...






** The Lovely Blogs Hosting **







* * *
How The Series Works

1. Enter in your blog to join into the series by responding, leaving your

blog name and displaying the Blog Loving button per your own blog.



2. All blogs entering will be assigned 1 random blog to focus on and creatively review

(We will email you the blog info, you review and email back your assessments of what

you loved the most, what you think could be improved upon, and what you didn’t

like upon your visit or could be changed from a reader’s perspective)



3.. As an incentive to YOUR own reader's to take advantage of the series,

we ask that you blog about it and link back with ONE (or two) blogging

recommendations you would LOVE to see more of, OR not (this also adds to

engaging your reader's. By posting, your reader's can join in the series, and

leave you their feedback on your thoughts pertaining to your blog

and give you their own recommendations!) The List will stay open
for entry for 6days and only one entry per blog is required.



4. You wouldn’t be given any info as to who critiqued your blog. Only US

will know and everything else will remain anonymous and private. Your email

will only contain what was said pertaining to the reviewers
respective and private insights.



5. TO help us all gain awareness and take notes as to what our blog community’s

perspective on things are as a whole, each of us will post a variety of great tips

received from assorted anonymous reviews that could help us all

Maintain the best creative content, reader friendly, easily

 assessable info and functional blog space we can.  

*Helpful Hints To Help Critique*

Upon arrival at a blog, how does the layout suit a reader? Is it easily

User friendly and assessable? , can you navigate and find content

you will like to read more about easily..?



Are there any bandwidth issues causing you to wait long to view the blog?



Is the font easily readable? Are the colors too bright or not?



Is content, posts, photo’s etc engaging..?

(A photo can say a million things in just one view, I know personally that I

am engaged immediately upon seeing a fascinating or great image

 within a post to happily dig in and read more about it)



That’s it… How exciting..! I really look forward to learning and picking up

great blogging tips and more from ALL of us together…



{Please be sure your to connect your email account

and or leave your email address in your comment!}


To enter your blog name and 
join in the fun Click HERE


For more Revamping your Blog Tips, Click HERE.

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