It’s 11-11-11, baby!!  How totally rad is that?  Doesn’t it make you want to do something totally memorable today?  :) 

Welcome to PART 4 of our Beautify your Blog, DIY style Series!  Make sure you catch up on…

• Part 1… Fabulous Fonts
• Part 2… Dreamy Header
• Part 3… Sensational Customized Signature w/Graphics

This series has just been SO much fun for me.  I am seriously addicted to the constant tweaking and blog beautification.  I love learning and sharing all my NEW knowledge, so this is a WIN WIN for me.  :)

Today’s topic may be a BIG breakthrough for you.  For me it was one of those light bulb moments. 

A few months ago, I happened across someone sharing some free sample sidebar title images… things like “About me,” “Followers,” “Links,” etc.  I wanted to use them, but I couldn’t because I needed more titles than what was included.  BUT… even better than the free sidebar samples were the instructions to save the image to my computer and upload to my blog as a picture. 

All of a sudden, I was like, DUH!  I can just create my own personalized, CUSTOMIZED Sidebar Titles as a graphic in pixlr and add it as a picture gadget!!!  How easy is that??!!

The possibilities are ENDLESS when we have the ability to tweak our blog OURSELVES!!  We can pick the font we want, the color, the size, AND we can apply the adding graphic tips from last week and even add graphics!

First up going from a DRAB to FAB Sidebar is…

Step 1… Decide if you want a transparent background or a patterned background.  If you want a pattern, make sure to coordinate it with your overall blog theme colors and design.  If you have a detailed background on your blog, you may not want a patterned sidebar title since it may get a bit “busy.” 

Tip… To grab a snippet of your blog background or header to use as your sidebar background, use snipping tool or do print screen and paste it into paint.net and crop. 

Step 2… Open Pixlr.com.  Choose Create New Image if you are using a transparent background or Open Image if you are using a patterned background. 

 

Step 3… Decide your Sidebar Title Size.  This will take some trial and error.  In blogger, go to Design, Template Designer, Adjust Widths.  {This is a SUPER easy way to change your blog width. In my opinion, the blog post area should be at least 600 pixels or so.}  Look at your sidebar width number and subtract 10 or so.  That is how wide we want our Titles to be. 

Your title height is up to you.  I would start with around 60 or so. 

 

Step 4… Click “A” and choose your fabulous font and color.   Think about what your LONGEST Title will be and start with that one so you’ll know your font size will work for that one.  Use the gray and white checkered boxes to help you keep all your text at the same height. 

                                     

Remember to look at the color number code up at the top.  You’ll need to type this in on all your titles so your colors will match.

 

Step 5… If you want to add curly parentheses around your title like mine, make a separate text box for each side of the parentheses and make the font big enough to overlap your text.  You may want to try a few different fonts to find the one with the best looking one.  You could also choose a different color to make your text contrast with your parentheses.

Remember the tip to move back and forth between text boxes?

Click over to the right on Layers.  Click on the layer you wan to move or edit.  Then go back to your image and click on that text. 

Don’t crop to fit… Keep your text centered on your canvas.

 

Step 6… Save as a png.  Remember where you saved it, and DON’T close.  Once you’ve closed it and reopened you can’t edit it, and you’ll have to start from scratch for the rest of your titles. 

 

Step 7… If you want to add a graphic, upload to picnik and follow the instructions from Part 3.

 

Step 8… Add titles to Blogger.  Go to Design, Add a Gadget, and Picture. 

Make sure you leave your title blank.  This does make it tricky when you are moving things around since all your titles will all be named “Picture,” but hey, it works.  :)  Make sure to unclick “Shrink to fit.” Hit Save. and check your result.

If it’s too big or too small, go back to Pixlr and adjust the size by clicking Image and then Image Size. 

If it’s not centered well, you’ll need to add some white space in the needed area.  Go back to Pixlr and click Image, Canvas Size. 

Click in the top middle box as your anchor and add a bit to your width pixels.  Save and try that one out.  This one will take some trial and error of adding white space on one side and/or cropping white space on another side to get how you want it.

 

Step 9… Once you’ve got your first Title squared away and looking centered how you want it, go back to Pixlr and make the rest of your awesome Titles.  Don’t start from scratch!  Just backspace, type in your new text and repeat the above steps.

It’s VERY important that you don’t crop your titles to fit.  Once you’ve determined the right image and canvas size of your first Title, you’ve gotta keep ‘em ALL that size.  Otherwise, your blog sidebar will be full of Titles that are all varying sizes.  Uh, not cool!   You don’t want a smaller word like “Links” to be HUGE while something longer like “Search my Blog” to be teeny.  They should be uniform… which is hard to do when we’re creating them like we are. 

That’s why we started with our longest Title first, so we don’t end up having to get smaller as we go.

 

Step 10… Save each title and upload to blogger as a picture gadget.  Don’t forget to go into each sidebar element and delete the old school Title.   

Wala!  Ten easy steps to go from a Drab to Fab Sidebar!!

Who would’ve thought we could do that ourselves, right??

I’m REALLY, REALLY close to giving in to revamping MY sidebar titles, since I made these at the very beginning of my Pixlr knowledge.  :)  So keep your eyes peeled from some improvement coming soon. 

Remember the name of the DIY Blog Design Game is good, old TRIAL & ERROR, baby!! 

You can do it!!  

Stay tuned!  Lots more Bloggy DIY goodness to come!!!

::Sometimes I link to Weekend Bloggy Link up, Tatertots & Jello, House of Hepworths, Delightful Order, Bowl Full of Lemons,Organize & Decorate Everything, This Chick Cooks, Funky Junk Interiors, Craft Envy, Reasons to Skip the Housework, Somewhat Simple, Shabby Creek Cottage, No Minimalist Here, Skip to my Lou, Fingerprints on the Fridge, CRAFT,Today’s Creative Blog, and Someday Crafts. You should check ‘em out!!::