DIY Decorating Your Blog for Any Holiday or Season

Modified on November 29, 2011 by Sue Waters

It’s that time of the year again when people get creative and start decorating their houses for the festive season. Everyone loves Christmas decorations, but did you know that you can get just as creative with decorating your blog?

With so many options now available, we’ve decided to show you how easy it is to decorate your blog for any holiday or season!

We’ve also set up a demo blog so you can check out what a live blog looks like when you use different options to customise with a particular feel!

Adding a Custom Background

Most themes now allow you to set your own custom image header and custom background.

Yet most people are unaware of how easy it is to add a custom background to achieve a more customised look while adding a personalized touch to their blog.

The first step is to search for a free background you’d like to use. Numerous websites provide a wide range of suitable free images and backgrounds.

Here’s some sites to get you started:

Once you’ve located an image you would like to use, all you need to do is right mouse click on the image and select Save Image As (or Save Picture as) to save a copy of the image onto your computer.

Now uploading your background is as simple as:

1. Go to Appearance > Background inside your dashboard.

2. Click on Choose File, select the image you want to upload and then click Upload.

3. Once it is uploaded select your preferred display option and then click Save Changes.

And when you check your blog you should now see your new custom background!

Student bloggers often like using an animated gif for their background. All they need to do is locate the animated .gif they want to use, save it onto their computer the same as you would save any other image, and then upload it as a background.

Of course, animated gifs can be a bit overwhelming when used as a background and Ronnie made me remove my pretty ones

Adding a Custom image header

Custom image headers, like backgrounds can really add to the look and feel of a blog.

You can easily make your own or search for a free image header to use.

Here’s some sites to get you started:

Once you’ve located an image you would like to use all you need to do is right mouse click on the image and select Save Image As (or Save Picture as) to save a copy of the image onto your computer.

Tip:

For the best quality use the recommended image header dimensions for your chosen theme (recommend size for your theme is displayed on Appearance > Header)
I use Snagit to resize and adjust my image headers to the correct size before uploading.

Now uploading your image header is as simple as:

1. Go to Appearance > Header inside your dashboard.

2. Click on Choose file, browse for the image on your computer and then click on Open.

Only .jpeg, .gif, and .png files can be used for image headers.

3. Next click Upload

4. Your image will upload and if it isn’t the exact dimensions you’ll need to select the area you want to crop and then click Crop and Publish.
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And when you check your blog you should now see your new custom image header!

Adding widgets to your sidebar

There are lots of seasonal widgets you can add to your sidebar. Widgetbox provides the best selection of Christmas widgets.

You can check out the widgets I liked in the sidebar of our demo blog. I also added a mixpod widget of Christmas music (student’s love music players on their blogs).

Please note you need to be using an Edublogs Pro blog, Edublogs Campus blog or have had extra features enabled on your blog by a Pro blog to be able to add embed code.

Adding a widget to your sidebar is as simple as:

1. Copy the embed code for the widget.

2. Go to Appearance > Widgets in your dashboard.

3. Click on the sidebar to expand it (so you can add the widget).

4. Drag a text widget from the Available widget area into the sidebar area.

5. Add the embed code to the text widget and click Save.

And when you check your blog you should see your new widget!

Enhancing your posts with embedded media

There’s a gazillion tools that you can easily embed into your posts that can create some great seasonal activities and fun.

Please note you need to be using an Edublogs Pro blog, Edublogs Campus blog or have had extra features enabled on your blog by a Pro blog to be able to add embed code.

I’ve added a selection to our demo blog so you can see how you could use them:

Christmas Trivia Fun – from Widget box
Christmas Glogster – get your students to create their own Christmas Glogster
Christmas VoiceThread – create your own VoiceThread
Christmas LiveBinder - packed full of ideas and Christmas activities
Christmas AnswerGarden
Christmas Quizzes – get your students to create their own quizz!
Christmas Picture Puzzle – from Widget box
Christmas Coloring pages
Festive Turkey scoffing game – from Widget box
Singing Christmas countdown – from Widget Box

You’ll find a comprehensive list of popular web tools to embed here!

Adding them to a post is as simple as:

1. Completely write your post including the title, text, images, tags and categories.

2. Click on Save Draft, preview your post and make all necessary edits.

3. Go to the online tool you want to use and copy the embed code.

4. Click on the HTML tab in your write post area.

5. Paste the embed code into your post where you want it to appear then immediately click Publish

Don’t click back to Visual Tab before hitting Publish as it can break the embed code.
Immediately close your post once you’ve published.
Change back to Visual Editing mode when you write your next post by clicking on the Visual tab.
You use this same process for any website that provides embed code.

And don’t forget the longtime-favorite Let It Snow plugin on Edublogs which adds falling snow right on your blog!

Leave a link to your decked-out and holiday-trimmed blog below so we can all get in the festive mood.

Seasons greetings and happy blog decorating!

Blogging with an iPad: Choosing a web browser, setting up your theme and adding widgets

Modified on June 14, 2011 by Sue Waters

My iPad is a significant part of my life. It goes almost everywhere with me and is the one device I can’t live without for both work and leisure.

With more educators looking at iPads as a replacement for student laptops and netbooks, we’re regularly being asked for blogging tips using iPads.

So I’ve decided the best way to provide advice is build a new blog using just my iPad and post about it as I go!

Web browsers on the iPad

Lets start by talking about web browsers since you’ll need to use one as you’re setting up your blog.

While Safari is the default web browser on an iPad there are apps that provide considerably better browsing with greater functionality than Safari.

Alternative web browsers for iPads include:

Atomic Web – US$1.19
iCab mobile - US$2.49
iChromy – free
Skyfire- US$2.99

I’ve decided to use iCab mobile because:

It has the richest feature set
It supports tab browsing so you don’t have to keep zooming in and out of your browser to move pages
I’m able to access more blog features inside my dashboard than any of the other browsers

You can choose to use Safari rather than purchase an app like iCab mobile however support of tab browsers makes the process considerably easier and quicker.

Tab browsing in iCabmobile on an iPad

Here’s a quick comparison of the main differences between these browsers:

Quick iPad Browser comparison

Tip:

The iPad’s dock at the bottom of the screen where you can ‘stick’ icons of your favorite apps so they remain accessible from all other Home screens can hold up to six different apps.
To add more icons to the iPad dock, or replace existing apps, just touch and hold any Home screen icon until the icons begin to wiggle.
Now drag the app you want to add from the Home screen into your dock. When complete, press the Home button to save.

The most annoying aspect is Safari is the default browser and, unlike a computer, you can’t change this on an iPad. So instead I’ve added iCab Mobile to my iPad dock to make it easier to access.

dock41

Creating the blog

Now it’s time for me to create the blog.

I’m creating it via the Edublogs sign up page using iCab mobile however:

If you’re new to blogging start by reading these things to consider before creating your blog
If you’re setting the student blogs follow these instructions

Tip: A handy shortcut is to doubletap on your home button. This brings up a toolbar which makes it easy to navigate around your iPad apps.

Accessing your iPad toolbar

Setting up the theme

Now my blog is created it’s time to give it my personal touch by choosing a new theme. Last thing I want is it to look like all the other newly created blogs!

Changing the theme was simple.

All I needed to do was:

Log into my blog dashboard using iCab mobile (or you can use Safari)
Go to Appearance > Themes
Click Activate below the theme I wanted to use

If you’re struggling to decide on a theme it’s best to activate a theme you want to check out and then view your blog in another tab, than to use Preview — it’s less time consuming.

Changing your theme

Here’s where you’ll find more information to help you choose your theme:

I’ve decided to use PrimePress because it’s a nice clean theme that suits my purpose.

Uploading the custom image header

While changing the theme was simple, uploading a custom image header wasn’t. It’s definitely something that’s considerably less painful using a computer.

But it can be done and here’s what you need to know:

The easiest option is to use a free image header that is close to the image header size you need to upload
You need to use iCab Mobile as most iPad web browsers won’t let you locate images on your iPad to upload
You need to make sure the image is exactly the size recommended on the Appearance > Custom Header page because you can’t crop images in the dashboard on an iPad

Here’s how I did it:

1. Downloaded a free image header from FreeWebPageHeaders

Images from FreeWebPageHeaders are a standard size of 800 pixels wide by 200 high which means for most themes you’ll need to resize and crop.

Downloading an image on an iPad

2. Resized the image to 920 pixels wide using iResizer (Us$1.19).

There’s lots of image resizers you can choose from.
I just found this app the easiest of the ones I already have and it’s handy to have a good image resizer.

Resizing an image on an iPad

3. Opened up the resized image in PhotoGene (US$2.49):

cropped to 920 pixels wide and 150 pixels high (size required for uploading)
Added text
Saved the image

There’s lots of image editors you can choose from. This app is easy to use and is handy for cool image editing.

Adding text to an image on an iPad

4. Then reopened my new custom image header in iResizer to check:

it was definitely 920 pixels by 150 pixels
otherwise I wouldn’t be able to upload.

5. Next I logged into my blog dashboard using iCab mobile

6. Went to Appearance > Custom Header

7. Clicked Select File, selected image from Camera Roll and clicked Upload image.

Presto!

My new image header is now on my blog!

You can check out the progress of my blog building on an iPad here!

Changing the tagline

The concept behind a blog tagline is to create a memorable phrase that sums up the tone and premise of a blog.

Changing the tagline was simple.

All I needed to do was:

Log into my blog dashboard using iCab mobile (or you can use Safari)
Go to Settings > General
Add my new tagline and click Save Changes.

Adding a new tagline

Changing Widgets

You can’t drag and drop widgets on an iPad.

You can, however, still add widgets with relative ease using the following steps:

1. Select ‘screen options’ from the tab at the top.

Click on Screen options

2. Enable accessibility mode

Enable accessibility mode

3. Click add on the widget you want to add

Add the widget

4. Add the information

In my situation I need to add an attribution for the image I’ve used

Adding information to the widget

5. Then decide where it goes

Choose sidebar and location of widget

6. Click Save Widget

You can learn more about working with widgets here!

Final thoughts

My blog is now set up ready for me to start adding content. You can see how the blog is going here (if you can bear it’s current messy state!)

The next post in this series is all about creating and editing posts and pages using an iPad.

Please let us know:

What have I missed?
What other advice would you give?
Or are there any other questions you would like answered?

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Taking The Agony Out Of Using Custom Image Headers

Modified on March 22, 2009 by Sue Waters

Are you like me? Driven by a strong desire to add that individual touch to your blog using a custom image header? But through not fault of your own designing your own image header always turns out BAD?

There is a solution! Instead of trying to design your own image header visit Free Web Page Headers. All their image headers are provided under Creative Commons Attribution Non Commerical license. This means you can use them, with adaptation if you desire, provided you acknowledge the original source and don’t use them for a commerical purpose.

This is how I did it on my personal blog:

Searched Nature category on Free Web Page Headers looking for a header with adequate space to add words to left hand side of header
Downloaded Yellow flowers by DHester onto my computer
Opened up image in PhotoShop, added desired words to image and adjusted image size to recommended image size for my blog theme (970 x 140 pixels)
Uploaded new custom image to blog (Design > Custom Image Header)
Added a text widget to blog sidebar with HTML code to provide required image attribution

FINAL THOUGHTS

Check out these posts for:

You can use Free Web Page Headers as they are without adding text. There are numerous free photo editing tools that you can use in place of PhotoShop. What free photo editing tools would you recommend?