How to Pimp Your Blog

Okay my sweeties...our dear friend Slip needs our help.

He wants to add photos, a slide show, and links.

Perhaps we can make this a regular feature if all goes well. I am definitely NOT a technical person and I just found ways of doing things from trial and error basically. So here goes....

1. First thing I want to show you is...you can increase the number of widgets on your blog. What will this do? You can then have a widget for photos or code above your header as well as for down below at the bottom of your blog.

And here is how you do it:

a. go to your dashboard

b. go to lay out

c. go to edit html

d. Scroll down near the bottom. There should be code which says max widgets and a number. You can then change this number to increase your possibilities for more widgets. Widgets are things like photos, polls, html code and the like. Remember to save your changes!

e. If you ever get into trouble messing with your code and want your old template back...it is good to copy the old template for safe keeping...store it on notepad or something like that.

f. You can see the result of this change you just did to the template when you go to page elements. Now you have more "add page elements" to potentially play with.

2. PHOTOS on YOUR SIDE BAR or in HEADER:

a. go to add page element

b. then choose add a picture

c. Here it will give you a choice of an image from your computer or from the internet. Load up the picture you wish and remember to save your changes. If it is from flickr or photobucket you will need the html code. sizing may be an issue so they have a litte check box there to shrink your image to fit.

d. If you are putting the photo in your header you have some choices. You can either have a photo behind your words in which case you don't need another widget. Or you can use the extra widget above your title to put an image up there.

Good so far?

3. How to add LINKS to your side bar:

a. Go to add a page element.

b. Go to add link list

c. Have some links ready...they begin with http. When you visit someone's site copy the code you see in your bar up there (highlight it...control C) then go to the configure link list....and plug it in (control V). Name the link whatever you want to name it.

d. Choose how your links should be arranged...alphabetically or randomly.

e. Choose a title for your link list if you wish...remember to save...and voila...you have your link list.

4. How To Add a Slide Show or Film Strip to your Blog:

This is really fun...

a. First of all sign up to photobucket or flickr or any of the photo site places. I personally like photobucket. They have some very cool features there now...you can do amazing things with your photos and images...even put music to your home made slide shows. They also have where you can edit individual photos and jazz them up...make them look old fashioned and grainy or like works of art! They have also added where you can do some layering...sorta like what the photoshop can do...sorta kinda.

b. load up some photos from your computer to the site and make your collection to choose from.

c. Go to the Create Slideshow...they also have how to make a Re-Mix...this is with music. Anyways...each photo site is going to be calling these things by different terms. I only know about photobucket.

d. Basically follow the directions they give you on the site...photobucket makes it easy as pie really.

e. When you are done creating your slide show...copy the html code given.

f. With the choice of widgets on your blog...choose the HTML/java script....and copy your code into the box. Remember to save it and then voila...you have your slide show!


Now if anyone can add anything or make this easier...that would be great. It is all rather hard to explain if you aren't right there showing the person but this will have to do.

Slip...tell us if you have any problems and we will help you from there.

AND HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!