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Carrie Loves

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68 Comments

How to make your Blogger blog not look like a, um, Blogger blog

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How to un-blogger your blog - Carrie Loves Blog

A lot of my design clients who use Blogger ask for a design that is not so Blogger-ish. This happens more often than not, so I thought I’d share some tips on how to take the Blogger out of your Blogger blog.

Super easy things everyone can do right now!

  • Add a custom header.
    • Layout >> click Edit on the Header gadget >> Uncheck “Shrink to Fit” >> Browse… select your header image from your computer >> Check the option “Instead of title and description” >> Save.
  • Add a custom favicon.
    • Layout >> click Edit on the Favicon gadget >> Browse… select your favicon image (must be a square image!) >> Save.
  • Remove the About Me gadget.
    • Layout >> click Edit on the About Me gadget >> Remove.
  • Add a customized about me gadget to your sidebar.
    • Layout >> Add A Gadget >> Image >> be sure to uncheck the Shrink to fit box >> Browse… select you image from your computer >> Title: fill in your title (e.g. Welcome, Hello!, About Me, etc.), if you want to leave this blank – well, you can’t – so enter this code instead: <! – -> >> Caption: enter in your welcome message >> Link: you can either leave this blank, or you may link to your About page >> Save.
  • Remove the Blogger Navbar.
    • Layout >> click Edit on the Navbar gadget >> Off >> Save.
  • Remove the followers / Google Friend Connect gadget.
    • Layout >> click Edit on the Followers gadget >> Remove.
  • Remove the background colors from the date, tabs and post footer.
    • Template >> Customize >> Advanced >> Date Header >> Background Color >> change to white (#FFFFFF) or transparent (and, change the date color to something other than white!) >> Apply to Blog. (Repeat for Tabs & Post Footer.)
  • Remove the borders from menu bar (tabs).
    • Template >> Customize >> Advanced >> Accents >> Tabs Border Color >> change to white (#FFFFFF) or transparent >> Apply to Blog.
  • Remove the post share icons (use a set from AddThis or ShareThis)
    • Layout >> click Edit on the Blog Posts gadget >> uncheck the Show Share Buttons >> Save.

At this point you could either purchase a premade Blogger template that has the following options included with the design, or you can DIY it. These things are a bit more tricky and most involve editing the HTML of the template… be sure to make a backup of your template before you begin!

  • Remove the Subscribe to Posts (Atom) link that shows up at the bottom of your site – DIY here.
  • Remove the shadows from post images – DIY here.
  • Remove the Attribution gadget – DIY here.
  • Remove the dots from the pager section (Newer Posts, Home, Older Posts) – DIY here.
  • Remove the letter spacing for the blog post date – DIY here.

At this point you have a pretty un-Blogger-ish looking blog, how do you like it?

 

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Filed Under: Blogger, Design Essentials

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Comments

  1. Suze says

    March 9, 2014 at 3:26 pm

    Thanks for the tips! This is so incredibly handy ๐Ÿ™‚
    Suze recently posted… NIEUW – sieradenMy Profile

    Reply
    • Mariana says

      September 10, 2014 at 4:27 am

      Hello, I like your posts. They work on me. However, now, I’m looking for how to change the background color of my blog’s footer. I have been searching for here and there but unfortunately, I haven’t found it. I’m a new blogger anyway, so I’m still not that good on it. But I’m going to seriously blogging so that’s why I need ur help hihi. Thanks ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  2. Judi Fox says

    March 10, 2014 at 9:52 am

    Love all the tips. I didn’t even know I could make things transparent. I have some questions now. ๐Ÿ™‚ I need some clarification…. what do you mean by “change the date color to something other than white!” Do you mean that hiding the date with white makes it a problem for some browsers? I am pretty sure I hid my date / time / stamp with white because I didn’t want it to show up on my landing page. I didn’t want it to look like a “blog”.

    I am getting ready to launch my new website – where I focus just on my Resume Remodeling business. Up until now I have just been playing behind the scenes with blogger html, but tempted to check out wordpress. You always give me lots to think about and great ideas! Judi

    Reply
    • Carrie Koehmstedt says

      March 11, 2014 at 9:44 am

      Sorry for the confusion, I was trying to say if you make the background white, you’ll need to change the font color to something other than white – for example black. Your blog looks great as it is now on your blog.
      Carrie Koehmstedt recently posted… How to make your Blogger blog not look like a, um, Blogger blog My Profile

      Reply
  3. lissa says

    March 10, 2014 at 10:32 am

    they’re all great tips. & also make the width wider, which I wouldn’t recommend a while back but now with larger screens and all.

    hope you have a great day.
    lissa recently posted… Strangers in the rainMy Profile

    Reply
    • Carrie Koehmstedt says

      March 11, 2014 at 9:43 am

      That is a great tip! Making your blog wider definitely makes it stand out and allows for bigger pictures, too. Win-win.
      Carrie Koehmstedt recently posted… How to make your Blogger blog not look like a, um, Blogger blog My Profile

      Reply
  4. Aunie says

    March 10, 2014 at 3:52 pm

    Carrie, this is a GREAT POST! I even learned a thing or two. Thanks!!
    Aunie recently posted… Military Mindset: A BMT UpdateMy Profile

    Reply
  5. Kat says

    March 10, 2014 at 7:01 pm

    Can I first say that I LOVE your blog! You have helped me so much with mine! I just was reading your most recent post on how to make your Blogger blog not look so much like a Blogger blog, which is phenomenal I might add because it drives me mental. I tried the Favicon trick and it is not letting me change the Favicon! It is still the orange B Blogger Icon, I am wondering if I am doing something wrong, however I did follow the instructions and my image shows up when I go into the edit on the favicon link. I have no idea but I have found lately that my blogger dashboard has been very glitchy! Thank you for y our awesome post! ๐Ÿ™‚
    Kat recently posted… Stereotyping….My Profile

    Reply
    • Carrie Koehmstedt says

      March 11, 2014 at 9:42 am

      No, there is nothing wrong with the favicon… after you upload it to your blog it can take 24-48 hours to display in your browser’s tab organically. If you want it to appear right away you’ll need to clear the cache/cookies on your browser.
      Carrie Koehmstedt recently posted… How to make your Blogger blog not look like a, um, Blogger blog My Profile

      Reply
  6. karen says

    March 12, 2014 at 10:00 am

    brilliant advice, as always! Thanks, Carrie!

    Reply
  7. Neelu says

    March 12, 2014 at 4:41 pm

    Love these tips! Going to apply them now. Thank you. ๐Ÿ™‚
    Neelu recently posted… Musings on Turning Thirty and Lessons LearntMy Profile

    Reply
  8. OHMYcron says

    March 25, 2014 at 1:28 am

    These tips are amazing! I have been so nervous about creating a blog because I was frustrated with not knowing how to code and develop my own layout. This really helped me start to make something I actually like – you’re awesome!
    OHMYcron recently posted… Welcome!My Profile

    Reply
  9. Jackie Bouchard says

    April 1, 2014 at 8:45 pm

    Thanks! This was super helpful. Implemented almost all of these. (Took me forever though, because I also wanted to tweak some fonts/colors using the ‘advanced’ customization option for my template, and for some reason they wouldn’t take. Took me hours to get that all sorted out!) Anyway, thanks again!
    Jackie Bouchard recently posted… Less-Wordy Wed.: Note to Self(ie), Games of Bitey-Face + Selfies Don’t MixMy Profile

    Reply
  10. Eilidh says

    May 13, 2014 at 2:12 pm

    My ‘prev’ and ‘next’ buttons at the bottom of my page aren’t working. Have you got any idea how I can fix this?
    Eilidh recently posted… Introducing Alfie | Newest AdditionMy Profile

    Reply
    • Eilidh says

      May 14, 2014 at 10:16 am

      Nope, basically it was a blogger template and they were working but suddenly they’re not and I don’t know if I’ve edited code by mistake or something :/

      Reply
  11. Eilidh says

    May 14, 2014 at 10:17 am

    Nope, basically it was a blogger template and they were working but suddenly they’re not and I don’t know if I’ve edited code by mistake or something :/
    Eilidh recently posted… Introducing Alfie | Newest AdditionMy Profile

    Reply
  12. Eilidh says

    May 14, 2014 at 11:46 am

    I’ve had a look and coding just doesn’t make sense to me. If I were to email you the backup I’ve just made, is there any way you could possibly look at it and see if you can spot the issue? It’s just the basic simple blogger template I’m using. x
    Eilidh recently posted… Introducing Alfie | Newest AdditionMy Profile

    Reply
  13. Eilidh says

    May 14, 2014 at 12:08 pm

    Got it sorted, it was my post divider that was causing problems x

    Reply
  14. Estephanie Pimentel says

    June 9, 2014 at 11:40 pm

    I am so glad I found your page ! it has been so incredibly helpful for me as an upcoming blogger ! Thank you for your help ! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  15. Vanessa Tang says

    September 17, 2014 at 3:27 pm

    Hello Carrie,

    I’ve found wonderful, helpful tips with your blog! I’m not really a fan of the default comment box that comes with the Simple Template and was wondering how I could get a comment box that was similar to yours in black and white?

    Thank you for your time!

    Reply
  16. Rick Barry says

    December 11, 2014 at 1:32 pm

    Great tips, thanks! I will be tinkering in the coming days.

    Reply
  17. Kahar says

    January 10, 2015 at 11:11 am

    Thanks for the tips

    Reply
  18. Aniekeme says

    January 21, 2015 at 11:58 pm

    This was super helpful! Thanks!!
    I was wondering, do you know how I can change the default comment box on Blogger to something like what you have on here – with Name, Email, Website and Comment?

    Please and thanks x

    Reply
  19. Ellen Oliveira says

    February 21, 2015 at 10:41 am

    Thanks for this, pretty clear on what to do. ๐Ÿ™‚
    Ellen Oliveira recently posted… You Know You’re Parent WhenMy Profile

    Reply
  20. Nduka Ofoegbu says

    April 12, 2015 at 4:58 am

    thanks for this wonderful tutorial am indeed grateful

    Reply
  21. Julia Kim says

    April 12, 2015 at 2:08 pm

    hi carrie! The second to last bullet is not linked, just so you know!
    Julia Kim recently posted… BLOG SPOTLIGHT | ATLANTIC-PACIFICMy Profile

    Reply
  22. Olivia says

    April 27, 2015 at 1:36 pm

    Thank you so much! This helped a bunch ๐Ÿ˜€ xxx
    Olivia recently posted… Review: MAC Sweetie LipstickMy Profile

    Reply
  23. Sharon says

    April 28, 2015 at 10:04 pm

    Thank you so much for that list. Several of those things I was thinking I’d need to try and find them but you have time all with each other. Very helpful. Thank you.

    Reply
  24. Deija says

    June 28, 2015 at 1:51 am

    thanks so much for this post! it was super helpful when I started out my blog. have a great day!

    Reply
  25. Ashley Brooke says

    July 1, 2015 at 10:05 am

    Great post so helpful!

    xx

    http://dreamerindior.blogspot.de/
    https://instagram.com/ashleybrookeanderson/

    Reply
  26. Jahanara Akter says

    July 4, 2015 at 2:48 pm

    I was really starting to feel hopeless when I found your post. Thank you so much for helping me resolve my issue.
    Jahanara Akter recently posted… Flow Chart of Embroidery in Garments IndustryMy Profile

    Reply
  27. Frenchy says

    July 6, 2015 at 4:46 pm

    Thank you! I well definitely be putting your wise words in to practice. Just started a blog and it is looking very sorry for itself. And definitely very bloggy.
    Frenchy recently posted… Work tomorrowMy Profile

    Reply
  28. Hannah says

    July 11, 2015 at 7:16 am

    Thanks this helped me so much!!

    Reply
  29. Michaela Roque says

    August 2, 2015 at 7:01 am

    Hi!
    I am trying to put a customized footer image at the bottom of my blog, similar to the one seen on http://www.collagevintage.com

    I tried uploading it as an image with html through the layout options but the image doesn’t center because of its width. I wanted it to be the size of the page. I haven’t been able to figure out how to make it work so if you have any suggestions or know how to help me I would really appreciate the help!!

    Thank you! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      August 2, 2015 at 10:53 am

      Hi Michaela – Looks like the footer at Collage Vintage is a full-width footer that spans the width of the site. In order for your footer to do the same you would need to make your footer full width. XOMISSE has a great tutorial on how to do this: http://xomisse.com/blog/make-header-full-width-blogger/.

      Reply
  30. Tawhida says

    August 2, 2015 at 7:01 pm

    its a fantastic article. I love to read such kinds of article that you shared. thanks for sharing it.
    Tawhida recently posted… An Overview of Child Growth and DevelopmentMy Profile

    Reply
  31. Cassie says

    August 30, 2015 at 4:41 pm

    Thanks for the tips! I don’t know if Blogger has changed since you posted this, but I wasn’t able to do the first tip. There is no “shrink to fit” the header option. I hate that the corners are rounded on everything!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      August 31, 2015 at 6:42 am

      Hi Cassie,

      I still show Shrink To Fit on the header widgets… must be the template you are using, maybe that option is coded out?

      The corners are rounded on everything because of the base template you are using Picture Window. To un-round the corners look for the border-radius code throughout your template’s HTML.

      ex:
      -moz-border-radius: 10px;
      -webkit-border-radius: 10px;
      border-radius: 10px;
      -goog-ms-border-radius: 10px;

      It is in .content-outer, .header-outer, .Header img, .tabs-inner .widget ul, .tabs-inner .widget li:first-child a, .post-outer, and .footer-outer.

      DELETE these 4 lines of code that are for border-radius.

      Reply
  32. Molly says

    October 23, 2015 at 9:05 am

    Hello,
    I love the font you use!! What is it called and where do I find it I want to use it for my YouTube banner!!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      October 23, 2015 at 10:09 am

      Hi Molly, I use VeryBerry script font http://crtv.mk/iyKv for my headings, and in my header I use Stay Bold font http://crtv.mk/f0Mf7.

      Reply
  33. Molly says

    October 23, 2015 at 1:47 pm

    I HAVE USED ALL OF THESE!!! I LOOOVVVVEEE IT!!!!

    Reply
  34. Catherine says

    January 5, 2016 at 6:58 am

    Thank you so much for these tips! I just did them all and my poor old neglected blog (that I am revamping before I start blogging again) is looking the best it ever has!! Really, really appreciate you sharing your knowledge.

    Reply
  35. Katelyn says

    January 5, 2016 at 11:15 am

    Hi Carrie,

    I found your blog post on another website (figured you should know). See below. Your tips were extremely helpful! I could tell yours was the original because theirs didn’t have the links to the DIY pages at the end of the post.

    http://cmpfun.blogspot.com/2015/09/10-tips-to-your-blogger-look-like.html

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      January 6, 2016 at 8:51 am

      Whoa! Thanks Katelyn for the heads up, I submitted a comment asking them to remove the content, hopefully they are total jerks and do the right thing.

      Reply
  36. Michael says

    February 11, 2016 at 10:58 pm

    It’s Pretty Cool Post For Me, helped a lot
    Michael recently posted… Sanam Re (2016) Songs Lyrics | Pulkit SamratMy Profile

    Reply
  37. Kacky says

    February 13, 2016 at 11:47 pm

    Wow – this post was amazing and so helpful. It seems like you posted it a while ago yet it’s still incredibly applicable and useful! I’ve done a lot of Google searches for posts like this yet yours was the most concise, straight forward, and easy to use. Thank you!

    Reply
  38. Mayedul says

    March 3, 2016 at 4:02 pm

    This article is very effective especially for me. I was searching about it. Now my problem is solved. Thanks for sharing your valuable experience.
    Mayedul recently posted… Quality of Trimmings Should Ensure in Apparel IndustryMy Profile

    Reply
  39. Gemma says

    April 7, 2016 at 3:37 pm

    Does anyone know how to change the date header colour another way? The colour field is not there to change as above, and the date header tag isn’t in the html thing which everyone else online has suggested, so I’m a bit stuck as I don’t know how to edit CSS/html properly! Thank you very much ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      April 7, 2016 at 5:46 pm

      Hi Gemma, leave a link to your blog and I’ll take a look.

      Reply
  40. Megan says

    May 12, 2016 at 4:16 pm

    Thank you for the amazing Tips, it helped so much.

    Reply
  41. Technokrats says

    June 17, 2016 at 2:32 am

    Can we set a page as home page in a blogger website?

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      June 17, 2016 at 8:20 am

      Yes, there are lots of ways to do it, if you Google your question you’ll get the answers you need.

      Reply
  42. Leni says

    July 24, 2016 at 3:28 am

    Hi Carrie, thanks for this amazing tutorial. I would like to have my pictures in original size not square. Do you have any hints for me?

    Reply
  43. Natasha Fraser says

    August 1, 2016 at 2:11 pm

    Amazing! It looks 20 times better with just those tweaks. Thank you for the tips!

    Reply
  44. Juliette Broucke says

    September 18, 2016 at 12:13 pm

    Thank you! This helped a lot!

    Reply
  45. jasmine says

    October 13, 2016 at 9:46 pm

    Cool write up!! I loved it *smile*

    Reply
  46. Mandi says

    November 15, 2016 at 1:05 pm

    This is so helpful! Thank you for this .

    Reply
  47. Veronica says

    January 10, 2017 at 2:39 pm

    Super easy and simple post Thanks !
    But how do I make a Comments Box like your one ?

    : )

    kIND Regards

    Reply
  48. MD Kawsar says

    February 7, 2017 at 1:19 pm

    Wow, Really it’s a great post. Your post is really helpful and have lot of resourceful information. Thanks for sharing a nice post with us.
    MD Kawsar recently posted… Modern Interior Design BangladeshMy Profile

    Reply
  49. Rihan says

    February 14, 2017 at 1:53 pm

    Nice post. It helps me lot.
    Rihan recently posted… Quality Control in Apparel IndustryMy Profile

    Reply
  50. Devansh Das says

    April 4, 2017 at 8:32 am

    Thanks a lot. The t8ps and the methods worked out well

    Reply
    • Mitzi says

      April 30, 2017 at 4:38 am

      Hi Carrie,
      All of this are helpful, but can I request a tutorial on how to put square borders around your widget titles? Thank you.

      Reply
  51. Aimsy's Antics says

    July 5, 2017 at 3:25 pm

    Thanks for the great tips!
    Here’s to making our blogs fabulous!
    I have just started my blog, so I am sure these tips will be filtered in as I go along.
    Aimsy
    xoxo

    Reply
  52. Ayden says

    August 1, 2017 at 12:35 am

    Thanks for such wonderful tips. For newcomer’s these suggestions works like magic for there blogs. Indeed a great work.

    Reply
  53. jenifer says

    October 25, 2017 at 1:30 pm

    Hello!
    Do you have a tutorial on how to change your comment box? Where people leave comments? I am having a hard time trying to change it and I notice that a lot of people have an option where ppl can leave their website when they comment as well and mine is just the standard that came with and I would love to change that. Thank you!!!

    Reply
  54. Fiona Nunes says

    November 21, 2017 at 8:42 am

    Hello!!! Thanks for the wonderful tips ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  55. Sophie Georgina says

    March 6, 2018 at 11:19 am

    Thanks for the tips. I find blogger/blogspot the easiest to use in terms of me being a beginner (and Iโ€™m 16) I donโ€™t really mind it looking like a โ€˜blogโ€™ because thatโ€™s what it is and itโ€™s just a light hearted and lifestyle type blog – but I will be talking about some serious topics in the future. I just donโ€™t want it to look really beginnerish, even if I am a beginner. Do you understand what Iโ€™m saying? I made my blog in customisation in about an hour and not sure if it looks good, even for a beginner. If you have any free time Iโ€™d greatly appreciate it if you had a quick look and told me how I could possibly improve, thanks again for the great tips ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  56. Soccer Table says

    April 16, 2018 at 9:18 am

    I am so glad that i found your page ! it has been so incredibly helpful for me as an upcoming blogger.
    as usual, you add great value.
    Thank you for all of this great information.

    Reply

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