Saturday, December 27, 2008

Changing Your Blogger Blog To Three Columns

Okay, I know this is a card art blog, but sometimes you just have to fudge! I have been wanting a 3 column blog for sometime now, and some of you have also told me you were thinking about it too, so I did some hunting and found some great information and some links to share.

I read this article first:
http://bguide.blogspot.com/2008/02/skeleton-of-blogger-template.html
In a nutshell, it really just describes how the blog is set up. It made me a little more comfortable about going into the body to add things.

First and foremost to me was some information about a back up of your blog. It also explained how to do that. I also saved the encrypted codes on my widgets to a WordPerfect file and saved the pictures of the widgets to a Folder in My Pictures. I didn't need to use any of them, but it was a safety precaution I preferrred to have before I started on my journey.

Go to the Edit HTML tab under Layout and there is a Download Full Template on the second line down from the top and I used it to save (download) my template to my computer.

Next I actually fooled around with the instructions in the above article, but couldn't get them to work for me so I looked for another approach and found it here:

http://www.threecolumnblogger.com/2008/09/three-column-minima-layout-version.html

Now when you go to this page you will see on the right hand side of the page, in the 'Sidebar', a list of different templates and clicking on one will tell you what you need to know for your blogger layout template to change it to 3 columns. Mine was Minima Lefty after fooling around with another DIY to 3 columns. I was just Minima in the beginning. It actually took me less than an hour to do it and I could not believe it.

Anyway, I followed the instructions and it was very easy. I was a little spooked at times but reminded myself of these safety tips as I trolled along:

1. I had saved my template to my PC.
2. I can always click on Clear Edits button on the bottom, as long as I don't save anything until I check it out by:
Clicking on the Preview Button on the bottom of the screen.

The thing that was really great about the end result - I could drag my sidebar buttons from the column on the left to the column on the right to reorganize them.

If any of you would like to talk with me about it, EMAIL ME by clicking on the same in the upper left hand sidebar.

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and will continue on to a Happy Healthy New Year. Thanks for stopping by 'the blog' to look and share.

 

 Shirley

 

15 comments:

friedmsw said...

Your blog looks great! I am just glad to be back. I have been gone for awhile after a fall I had. Since then, I have been staying with my parents. They do not have a computer. At work, if we use the computer for any other means than work we can get into some really hot water. Just so good to read your blog again!

Tasha said...

Hi there Shirley, loving thenew look. I hope you have had a nice christmas
Love Tasha xx

Lyn S said...

Hi Shirley! I had a lovely Christmas and hope that you did too!

Your blog looks great with 3 columns, I always wondered how to do that, so thanks for your tutorial. I will have to give this a go when I have a bit more time to tinker around with mine.

Suzanne C said...

Just did it! Thanks Shirley.

Stamp and Smile said...

Thanks Shirley for the great tip!!! I'm going to give this a try when I get a few minutes... TFS!!!! :)

Theresa Momber said...

Great advice, Shirley! I have been meaning to change my blog to three columns for some time, now. I have the template all saved now and just need to get up the nerve to make the change. LOL

Helena (Gvendalen) said...

You blog became even more interesting with three columns! I love it even more!
Happy new year!

Anne said...

Nice New Year makeover Shirley, you did better than I did about the changeover :)

Etha said...

I think three columns is just too much for my brain to sort out :) but then, I even have issues with reading the newspaper LOL.... :) your blog looks great!

Orion Designs said...

Looks great Shirley! I was too chicken to convert mine to 3 columns, so I had a friend do it for me!
Vicki

Beverley said...

Shirley...I'm so jealous...I've wanted to go to three for some time but I'm too scared...your new format looks fantastic...I might ask my daughter to do mine the next time she visits.
stampin' HUGZ
Beverley

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for this Shirley!! I'll have to give it a try!!

Jami said...

Looks great!! Kudos to you for doing it yourself!!
hugs, Jami

Norine said...

thanks so much for posting this I have been trying for 3 days on and off to just change my background and for some reason cant grrrrrrrrrr LOL
Hope you have a Happy New Year
Hugs
Norine

Deb Neerman said...

Shirley!!!!!!!!!! You're a flippin' genius!! I LURVE the way the o'le blog looks now!

Hey, tell me, can you come to South Florida and set mine up? You fly, I'll lodge and feed ya ... and drive ya 'round town to all the LSS's and, of course, BIG LOTS!! So. Florida in January is heaven on earth, I tells ya, heaven on earth!

And thanks for the very warm and hearty welcome back! I can't tell you how much that means to me!

Look-out, Shirley, I'm baaaaaaaaacccccccckkkkkkkkkk!!!

~Hugs, Deb

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