Templates that you'll love

I am the first one to tell you that I change my Blogger template occasionally, sometimes often. Most of the time this happens late at night when my mind is not exactly awake :)

I have found some really awesome sites that provide Blogger templates during these late night play times and thought that today I would share them with you. Oh, and if it says "download template" don't get scared and leave that site, I'll tell you exactly what to do with that template in just a little bit...

One more Oh...my links will open in a new page so if you want to look at the sites as I talk about them then please do!

For simple-insert-the-HTML-and-be-done-with-it-templates, go to Pyzam. (Just so you are aware, I do get pop-ups from this site but I've never gotten a virus there. Just close the pop-up when it opens or don't use this site if it makes you nervous.)

1. When you find a template you think you may like, select "preview" so that you can see what it looks like full screen.

2. If you want that template, there will be a place that says "get the code". Copy the code.

3. Go to your Blogger dashboard/Layout/Edit HTML. You'll see your current templates HTML.

4. Right click in the template HTML area and choose "Select all". Right click again and choose "paste".

5. Go to the bottom of the HTML box (underneath it) and select "Preview". Your blog will open in a new window. Make sure it looks like you want it to look before you choose "Save template". There's no going back once you save it.

6. It will tell you that any widgets you have on your blog at the current time are going to be deleted. Sorry....they are. You will have to reinstall them into your new template. If that's ok with you then hit "Confirm and save".

*An easy way to save yourself some work in reinstalling the widgets is to open your notepad and copy & paste all the HTML from your old widgets onto it. Then all you have to do is copy & paste them back into your new widgets.*

7. Reinstall any widgets you want on your blog from the "Page elements" section under "Layout". Be sure to preview your blog and make sure it looks like you want it to look. Save it when you're done.

That's it. Your new template is finished :)

Another place that I really like to get new templates is Final Sense. You do the same thing for those templates that I just told you. They have some really pretty ones there.

The other two sites that I wanted to share with you involve downloading the template and take just a little bit more work but to me they are completely worth it. They have some of the coolest templates I've found in all my time of blogging.

They are Deluxe Templates and BTemplates.

1. Find the template you want.

2. Choose "Download".

3. A page usually opens that wants you to confirm if you want to download. If it does, select "download".

4. Your computer should open a box that asks you what you want to do with this file. It will tell you that it's a Compressed (zipped) Folder. Tell it "Save File".

5. Go to your downloads on your computer and find the file that you just downloaded.

6. Right click on the Zipped Folder and click "Extract All". It should open a window telling you where it's going to extract it to. Usually that place is perfectly fine. Choose "Extract".

7. It should open a new window with the file that just got extracted. Double click on that folder and make sure that there is a file type "XML document".

8. Go to your Blogger dashboard/Layout/Edit HTML

9. At the top of that page it says "Upload a template from a file on your hard drive:" Select "Browse" and find the folder that you just extracted. Double click it and select the XML document. It will fill in the box. Now choose "Upload".

*I do suggest that you "Download Full Template" BEFORE you upload a new one just in case you don't like the new one you can go back to the old one.*

10. "Preview" and then "Save Template" if you like it. Again, you will have to reinstall any widgets you have on your current template. It should also ask you to "Confirm and Save" without the widgets.

That's it! Now you have a beautiful new template :) I believe being happy with the way your blog looks is important. Have fun with it! And make it yours!