25 Nexus 5 - A New Blogger Template for Free Download Tuesday, September 8, 2009 /

It's been a while since I've designed a Blogger template for free release. But after reading this excellent tutorial on Smashing Magazine, I was inspired to create something different: an ultra-customizable, HTML5 based template for Blogger.

Nexus 5 is a one column template, with widgetized sections in the footer for any gadgets you may like to include. A wider, two column version will be available shortly for those who prefer gadgets in a sidebar section.

Continue reading »

12 Free Blogger Template: Halo 01 (Minimalist, grid based design) Wednesday, November 26, 2008 /

Here is another free Blogger template for you to download: Halo 01.



This template uses a minimalist, grid-based layout and a unique presentation of post meta-data (labels, posting date, etc) which appear in a column to the left of each post. You can preview a larger version of this template by clicking on the image or viewing the demonstration blog.



More features of this template include:

• Navigation links beneath the header


• Icon to the right of the header (which can be replaced with your own photo or avatar if preferred)


• Fully widgetized sidebar


• Three column footer section


• Styling (and code) to display your own Flickr photostream


• Fonts and colors can be customized through your Blogger dashboard

View Demo | Download Full Template (Zip file)

How to upload the Halo 01 Template to your blog

Download the Halo 01 template and save this to a location on your computer. This template is contained in a Zip folder which you will need to extract using Winzip or your favorite extraction program (if you use WIndows XP, you should be able to decompress the file automatically).



Ensure you have saved the Halo_01.xml file to a location on your computer which you can remember easily. Then log into your Blogger dashboard and go to Layout>Edit HTML.



Near the top of the screen, you will see the "Backup and restore" section where you can upload a new template to your blog:

Click on the "Browse" button to locate the Halo_01.xml file on your computer, then press "Upload" to replace your old template with this new template.



If you have many widgets in your existing layout, you may be prompted to delete these before the changes can be saved. Be sure to make a back-up of any important widgets before saving these changes! Alternatively, take a look at my tutorial for how to retain widgets when changing Blogger templates.



Once you have uploaded your new template (and confirmed deletion of widgets if necessary), your new template is ready to be configured.

How to change the navigation links

The navigation links beneath the header section have been coded into the template. To edit or add your own links, you will need to edit this section of the template code:

<div class='nav'>

    <ul class='nav fix'>



        <li><a expr:href='data:blog.homepageUrl' title='Return to the the frontpage'>Home</a></li>

        <li><a href='#' title='Read about this blog'>About</a></li>

        <li><a href='#' title='Link title'>Link</a></li>

        <li><a href='#' title='Link title'>Link</a></li>

        <li><a href='#' title='Link title'>Link</a></li>



        <li><a expr:href='data:blog.homepageUrl + "feeds/posts/default"' title='Subscribe to the main feed via RSS'>RSS</a></li>

        <li class='skip'><a href='#main' title='Skip to content'>Main</a></li>

    </ul>

</div>

The code highlighted in red demonstrates the actual links you should change: replace these with the URL which you want the navigation buttons to point to.



The code in blue is the link text. You should replace these snippets with the text you would like to be displayed on the navigation buttons.

How to configure your Flickr Photostream

The CSS code required to style the Flickr Photostream is already present in the Halo 01 Blogger template. To add the code required to display a Flickr Photostream, go to Layout>Page Elements in your Blogger dashboard and click the "Edit" link for the Flickr Photostream widget.



Then copy and paste the following code into the content section for this widget:

<script src='http://www.flickr.com/badge_code_v2.gne?count=9&display=random&size=s&layout=x&source=user&user=8131003%40N03' type='text/javascript'/>

Replace the user ID number (highlighted in bold red) with your own unique Flickr ID. If you do not know what your Flickr ID is, you can find this easily using idGettr; simply enter your Flickr username and this simple utility will find your Flickr ID for you!



Finally, save your changes to this widget. Now when you view your blog in your browser, your own Flickr images will appear as thumbnails in this widget.

How to change the icon in the header

The generic icon in the top right of the header section can be replaced with your own avatar if you prefer.



Firstly, design your avatar and ensure this is 60px wide and 50px tall. Upload this new avatar to your favorite image host (I prefer Picasa Web Albums, though you could use Photobucket or any hosting service you prefer). Be sure to copy the URL of your avatar to your clipboard.



Next go to Layout>Edit HTML in your Blogger dashboard, and check the "Expand widget templates" box. Then search for the following line of code:

<p id='authorIntro'><img alt='Icon' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitg3OxFJmt9z-d1LdCkzE0XQyTbE4wYUkad3WsJ4V4SJ29BwjdIS-xpgwI_vHpKp2EZnxObnxXrCqlM7UnKnf1hCuQIKDqFGtRh5XSRBy00R5tXUZ5mWgZzLGJaSVWlfmvH4V9xq_M3uvH/s144/avatar.gif'/><span><data:description/></span></p>

Replace the code highlighted in red with the URL of your new avatar, being sure not to disturb the surrounding single quotes ('). Preview your template to ensure no mistakes have been made when pasting your URL, and if all is well, proceed to save your template.

Licensing and copyright information

All images and content used in this template were created by myself, including the mini-icons used for the post meta-data.



This template is distributed under the Creative Commons Non-Commercial Attribution 3.0 license. This means you can use the template in any of your projects and make any modifications you choose, so long as you do not sell this template and provide attribution to the original author in some way.

Your thoughts?

I hope you enjoy using the Halo 01 template for your blogging projects! Please feel free to offer your comments and opinions using the form below.

2 Hell's Kitchen: A Spooky Halloween Themed Blogger Template Tuesday, October 28, 2008 /

In the spirit of Halloween, I have designed another dark and spooky Blogger template for your free download. Hell's Kitchen is a wide two column theme, with a sidebar floated to the left and integrated navigation links in the header.



All of the fonts and colors used in this theme are customizable through the Fonts and Colors section of the Blogger dashboard. It's easy to use, and should work "right out of the box" with little customization required.



Take a look at the Hell's Kitchen demonstration blog to see this design in action.











The header and footer sections include a "skulls" background image which is a slightly modified version of the "Bones" tile from DinPattern. I've also included the PSD of the header banner so you can modify this for your own requirements. The font used in this header banner is "Bleeding Cowboys" by Last Soundtrack which you can download for free from DaFont.com.



Preview Hell's Kitchen 



Download the "Hell's Kitchen" Blogger Template Package (Zip File)

How to upload this template

Included in the Zip folder, you will find the following files:

• hells-kitchen.xml - The actual template file


• hells-kitchen-readme.pdf - A PDF help file to help you upload and configure this template.
  
  


• skulls-bg.jpg - The background image for the header and footer sections


• hells-kitchen-logo.gif - The header banner used in the demo


• hells-kitchen-logo.psd - The PSD for the header logo, which you can adapt for your own blog title.

Ensure you extract the contents of the zip file to a memorable location on your computer before attempting to upload your new template.

Back-up any important widgets

When you upload a new template to your blog, you may be prompted to delete some of your existing widgets. This is because the new template does not have "placeholders" for all existing widgets within the code.



If your existing template includes many important widgets, it is good practice to back-up these widgets before uploading a new template. Peter Chen of Blogger Tips and Tricks recently posted a great article explaining how to back-up your Blogger gadgets.



You may also like to read my tutorial about transferring widgets from one template to another.

Uploading the XML file to your blog

Once you have extracted the files and have backed up any important widgets, log in to your Blogger dashboard and select the blog you wish to upload this template to.



Then go to Layout>Edit HTML. Near the top of the screen, you will see the following section:

Click the "Browse" button, and locate the "hells-kitchen.xml" file where it is saved on your hard drive. Then click the "Upload" button.



You may be prompted to delete some of your existing widgets, so be sure you have backed up these widgets if they are required in your new template design (see above).



Finally, you should see a message which says "Your changes have been saved. View blog". This means that your template has been successfully uploaded, and you can now take a look at your new design.

Configuring your new template

Navigation Links

The Hell's Kitchen template contains a Links List widget in the header which provides navigation links.



To make these links appear, you need to go to Layout>Page Elements in your Blogger dashboard, click the "Edit" link for the Links List widget, and add your links as required.



These links will automatically appear side-by-side to the right of the blog title. As this section is 400px wide, you can add around 4 or 5 links of average sized link text before your links will appear on a new line beneath.

Adding a logo to the header

In the demonstration blog for Hell's Kitchen, I used a custom header image (which you can find i the download folder). This image is 400px wide, and uses the Bleeding Cowboys font from DaFont.com (free for personal use).



I have included the PSD source file in the download folder which you can adapt to include your own blog title. Be sure to "Save for web" in GIF format, and use a dark grey color as the background on which transparency is overlaid.



Alternatively, you can create your own logo (if desired), which would need to be no wider than 400px.



Once you have modified or created your logo, go to Layout>Page Elements in your Blogger dashboard and click on the "Edit" link for the Header widget.



Click the "Browse" button to select the logo image from your computer, and ensure you have checked the "Use instead of title and description" selection so this will display instead of the text-based title and description.



Finally, save these changes and enjoy your Halloween themed Blogger layout!

More Halloween Goodies for your Blogger blog

Last year, I released two other free Halloween themed templates for Blogger which you can download below:

• Halloween Skulls


• Lament (Hellraiser style)

Smashing Magazine is also offering a selection of high quality Halloween goodies which you can use to decorate your blog and desktop:

• Halloween wallpapers and DIY tutorials


• Smashing Pumpkins Halloween Vector Set

I haven;t had much time to research Blogger downloads for Halloween, so if you have designed or know of other downloads, please add these in the comments below and I will update this post with the information.

Final words

Lastly, I want to apologise for having spent so much time away from my blog. For various personal reasons, I needed to take some time off.



But I'm back now, and hope to provide you with some great Blogger tutorials, free templates and more to make-up for the time I've spent offline ;)



I hope you enjoy using this template in your Blogger blogs! Please let me know your opinions by leaving your comments below.

3 10 Gorgeous New Blogger Template Releases for 9/11/08 Thursday, September 11, 2008 /

This past week I've been on a short hiatus from blogging while working through some important issues offline. Luckily my feed reader helps me stay up to date on the latest Blogger news (albeit a little later than normal) and I was thrilled to see some truly awesome Blogger templates have been released in recent days.



Here are ten of my favorite new Blogger templates which are available for free download:





Google Chrome by Francisco (ZonaChrome)

A clean, blue two column theme based on the new Chrome Browser. Converted from the original Wordpress theme by Smashing Wordpress Themes.



Demo | Download



Grunge Superstar by Blog and Web

I'm quite a fan of the grunge design trend, and this is an excellent example of how this style can be adapted to a Blogger theme. This is a one column template with three sections in the footer for your meta-content. As you can see from the screenshot, the theme is monochrome though this would be perfect for a photoblogger or designer to showcase their work.



Converted from the original Wordpress theme by Arcsin.



Demo | Download



Firebug by ThemeLib

This is a stunning colorful template with two, three or four columns (depending on your customizations of the theme). It features built in feeds for your recent posts and comments, and includes spaces for 125px square ads in the sidebar.



I love the background texture of this theme which is best viewed in the demo blog (the screenshot here does not convey the tru detail of this theme), and with the fully featured functions, this is an excellent Blogger template to use.



Converted from the Wordpress template designed by Blog Oh Blog.



Demo | Download



Cool by Our Blogger Templates

This is a beautiful and feminine narrow two column theme with a fresh color scheme.



Details and download



Outdoor by Btemplates

A simple though well designed two column theme, converted from the Wordpress template by Styleshout.



Demo | Download



ZixPk Blue

Here is a stunning three column design which features spaces for ads, an integrated search function and navigation links below the header.



Demo | Download



Blue Pigment by Btemplates

A bold, colorful two column theme with integrated navigation links and stylized posts.



Demo | Download



Fervens Themes (A, B and C) by Blog and Web

Francisco has successfully converted all three variations of the Fervens Wordpress theme by Design Disease which was created for Smashing Magazine and its' readers.



All three are clean, simple and beautifully designed themes with excellent color highlighting for the sidebar widgets.



Details, demo links and download from Blog and Web



Cake Recipe by ThemeLib

This is a beautiful niche-based Blogger template which could be an ideal choice for a food/recipe blog. Includes three columns in the layout and widgets within the header for recent posys and comments.



Converted from the Wordpress template by Quality Wordpress.



Demo | Download



Special Tribute: Ramadhan Al-Mubarak by Our Blogger Templates

Our Blogger Templates has created a special tribute theme for Ramadhan, which includes two columns in the main layout and three sections in the footer. This is a beautifully designed template and an excellent tribute for this month of fasting.



More details and download

Do you have a theme to share?

If you are a Blogger theme designer or would like to share a theme you have created, please feel free to drop me a line or leave a comment so I may include your theme in the next round-up on Blogger Buster.



Which of these themes do you like the most? Feel free to leave your comments and opinions below.

1 Blogger template releases for 08-22 Friday, August 22, 2008 /

In recent months, Blogger templates have increased in number and quality. After last week's 125 Excellent Blogger Templates post, many more remarkable templates have been released.



So from today and each Friday from now on, I'll be posting a new feature for Blogger Buster: a pick of the week's new Blogger template releases.



Here are 10 of the best free Blogger templates which have been released over the past couple of weeks, with links to the demonstration blogs and the author's download page.

Vista 84 by 84 Productions

This is a sleek, three column template based on the theme of Windows Vista. It's among the first Blogger templates to include pagination by default, and features stylized icons for important links and sidebar lists.



Demo | Download

Borboleta by Templates Nova Blogger

[Image removed due to concerns of copyright permissions with a photo on the demonstration blog]

A dark, two column theme with beautiful backgrounds for links in the header section.



Demo | Download

Blue Weed by Template Godown

 

This template features a split column sidebar, and areas in/beneath the header section for your widgets and ads.



Demo | Download

Vibrant by GosuBlogger

Simple and beautiful, this themeis presented in shades of blue and green making it ideal for a technical or professional style blog.



Demo | Download

DF Marine by Blog and Web

A stunning conversion of the original Wordpress theme by Deziner Folio, this design features unique Ajax functionality in the sidebar and a striking header section. It may require some editing of the template for your links and other information, but is otherwise an excellent theme.



Demo | Download

Brooklyn by Our Blogger Templates

This is a minimalist template in which most of the fonts and colors can be altered easily through the Blogger dashboard. There is no working demonstration blog of this template though from the screenshots I can say it does look very interesting and is ideal for the blogger who prefers to customize their theme.



Download

Sunshine by Our Blogger Templates

Here is another flexible theme from Our Blogger Templates which includes a beautiful header banner and styled layout. Again, there is no working demo blog, though the overall appearance is bright and stunning.



Download

Date Night by Suck My Lolly

A pretty feminine theme made especially for Blogger users.



Demo | Download

White Space by ThemeLib

Another minimalist and wholly customizable template by ThemeLib. This is a conversion of Brian Gardner's original theme for Wordpress and is useful for any style of blog or niche subject.



Demo | Download



Blogsmith by Aborregate

This is a simple, two column theme which was converted from a design by Free CSS Templates. A striking use of contrasting colors which should be useful for many styles of blog.



Demo | Download

Genesis by InfoCreek

I was waiting for this beautiful theme to be converted for Blogger after reading the teasing preview on InfoCreek's blog!



This is an elegant dark theme which is ideal for bloggers posting vibrant images as the color scheme really helps photographs stand out. There are two columns in the sidebar and an integrated calendar icon for each posting date.



Demo | Download

Do you design templates for Blogger?

I would like to make the Friday Showcase a regular feature here on Blogger Buster so readers can find the latest themes.



If you would like me to showcase our latest designs in future Friday listings, feel free to drop me a line or post your new themes in the dedicated forum thread and I'll do my best to include your designs in these regular showcase posts.



Please feel free to let us know what you think of this post and the selection of recent Blogger templates by leaving your comments below.

18 Grid Focus - New Blogger XML Template Thursday, August 14, 2008 /

Generally I prefer to design Blogger templates from scratch than convert existing themes, but for Grid Focus, I made an exception.



This beautiful, grid based design is among one of the best and most customizable themes I have ever used. Converted from the original Wordpress theme by Derek Punsalan of 5thirtyone.com, it features a neat three column layout, an amazing navigation bar and integrated links for the home, main-content and blog feeds. Take a look at this theme in action in the demo blog, or read on for download and installation details.







Here is a full page screenshot of the Grid Focus theme for Blogger:

All of the colors in this template can be changed from the Fonts and Colors section in your Blogger dashboard. So if you prefer to have a bright pink background and electric blue links, you can change these features with ease!



In the download package for this theme, I have included both the XML template and a text version of the template. Full instructions for upload and editing of links in the navigation bar are also included in the download.

• Download Grid Focus Template for Blogger


• Grid Focus Demonstration Blog 

If you have any problems downloading this theme, please let me know by leaving a comment below. Full support is offered in the Blogger Buster forum if required.

Credits and Copyight Notice

This theme is conveted from Derek Punsalan's original Grid Focus theme for Wordpress and is released under a Creative Commons Non Commercial Attribution License.



This means that you can use this theme in your own personal projects, but you cannot sell this theme!



Please remember to give credit where credit is due! The credit link to 5thirtyone.com must remain intact in this template (this is a condition of use from the original designer).

Over to you!

I hope you enjoy this Blogger template and find the customization options to be suitable for your needs. Feel free to tell me your thoughts and opinions by leaving your comments below.

8 12 Free Photoblog Templates for Blogger Monday, August 4, 2008 /

With the increased trend towards photoblogging, many bloggers seek one column templates which enhance the appearance of their photographs.



In this article, I have gathered 12 free Blogger XML templates which use the one column layout. These templates provide the perfect backdrop for photo-bloggers and designers to showcase their work.







Photoblog templates tend to have a different layout structure to regular templates. Because of this, I have included full page screenshots of these templates which offers a better overall view of the template.



1. Ser Photoblogger by Ser Turista

A minimalist CSS based template with three columns in the footer.



Demo | Download



2. The Pattern by Our Blog Templates

A wide photolog template which is ideal for those who prefer to display larger images in their posts.



Demo (image only) | Download



3. Restoration by Frivmo

A simple blue toned template with space for widgets in the footer.



Demo | Download



4. The Lake by Our Blog Templates

This beautiful one column template has plenty of space for images and three columns in the footer.



Download



5. Minimalista Negro by Blog and Web

An elegant single column template with iconized links for labels and dates.



Demo | Download



6. Ambiru by BlogCrowds

This narrow template is simple and dark with two columns in the footer for widgets. Converted from the classic Blogger template originally by Gecko and Fly.



Demo | Download



7. iPhone Template by Jackbook

Converted from the original theme by Themey, this single column template has the appearance of an iPhone.



Demo | Download



8. Photoblog by Our Blogger Templates

A minimalist template accented with pink titles.



Download



10. Neonix by Blog and Web

Neonix would look great with colorful imagery set against this green theme.



Demo | Download



11. Photoblog II by Our Blog Templates

Another wide photoblog template with a simple and elegant design.



Download



12. Photoblog (Dark) by Ser Turista

A dark one column theme which sets of colorful images perfectly.



Demo | Download

Over to you

I hope you enjoy this selection of free photo-blog style templates and may find these useful for your own blogging projects. Photo-blog style templates are becoming increasingly popular, though there are few blog designers who have constructed templates in this style. If I have missed any out, or if you discover any other free templates in this style, please let me know by leaving a comment below.

3 New Blogger XML Template: BT Dark Green Tuesday, July 1, 2008 /

BT Dark Green is my first Wordpress conversion. Originally created by Blogging Tips, this is a slick and professional looking widget-ready theme (for Layouts blogs)  with mouseover effects for sidebar links and navigation tabs. You can see the BT Dark Green template for Blogger in action here.

This template is very easy to set up and configure to your tastes. Simply download the XML template, upload this as a complete file to your blog, and add links as required in the "Link List" widget (which is built into the template). A "Home" link is already set up to lead back to your blog's home page.

Once installed, most of the fonts and colors can be changed through the Fonts and Colors section of your blog's dashboard, so if the default color scheme is too dark for you, this can be adapted to your personal needs.

The sidebar links and tabbed navigation buttons feature a nice mouseover effect to complement the color scheme of the template, and sidebar headings all have the matching icons to complement the green highlighting.

In the demo, the header includes a custom logo to match the theme. You can download this and change the title to suit your own blog. If you prefer not to use this logo, the header will instead include your blog's name and description (or you could design your own header banner instead).

There is also a built-in blog search function, which uses the default Blogger search function to return entries from your archives.

You may also notice on the Home and Archives pages that a message appears above the posts ("Latest posts" on the home page, and "Archives for [day/month/year]" on archive pages.

How to install this template

1. First you need to download the BT Dark Green template. This is an XML file contained in a Zip folder (which also includes instructions for use).


2. Once downloaded, unzip the contents of the folder and save to a location on your hard drive.


3. Log in to your Blogger dashboard and select the blog where you want to install this template.


4. Go to Layout>Edit HTML and look for "Upload a new template from a file on your hard drive". Click on the "Browse" button, and locate the bt-dark-green.xml file on your hard drive. Then select "Upload".


5. This will upload the complete template file to your blog.

Please note that you may be prompted to delete some existing widgets when uploading this new template. This happens when installing any third-party template. If you need to retain all of your existing widgets, you can either make copies of the content to save on your computer, or transfer widgets over using the method described on this page.



I hope you enjoy using the BT Dark Green template! This is my first ever Wordpress theme conversion, though in the next few weeks I hope to convert other Blogging Tips themes for use with Blogger blogs.



Please let me know what you think (and also if you experience any problems with this template) by leaving your comments below.

Demo/Download BT Dark Green Blogger XML Template

• Demo


• Download
  

PS: I've almost finished my next eBook: Choosing and Using a New Blogger Template which includes detailed informations and methods for all your template needs. Be sure to subscribe to Blogger Buster to learn when this eBook is released for download.

1 "A New Day" Blogger XML Template Download Friday, May 2, 2008 /

Here's a new Blogger XML template download for you: "A New Day".

Take a look at the demonstration blog for this new template to see it in action.

This is a pale, two column template with a wide posts area and sidebar (which should be wide enough to accommodate most wider styles of widgets, Adsense and possibly video too!).

You can download both the XML file and the HTML code for this template. Full instructions and download links are provided below.

Features of this template

A New Day is a wide two column template, providing ample room for posts and also provision for wider sidebar widgets.

The header section features an integrated "navigation" links list widget, so you can easily add and edit links to the main pages of your blog.

Other useful features include:

• Rounded corners for the sidebar widget headings


• Fonts and colors can be changed within the "Fonts and Colors" section in your Blogger dashboard.


• Author comment highlighting (with a different color heading for author's comments)


• Automatic "copyright" (according to blog title) in the lower footer section.


• Comment count below post titles


• Unique header image which spans the entire width of the page.

Using This Template

I have tried to ensure this template is as user-friendly as possible! A New Day should work "right out of the box" once this is uploaded to your blog.

The only thing you may need to configure is the "Link List" widget in the header section, which you can access in the Layout>Page Elements section of your dashboard. In this widget, you can add links to the important pages of your blog (such as your "About" and "Contact" pages. Or if you prefer not to feature such links, you can simply delete this altogether!

Fixed elements of this template

The main background, and the background images for the main area of the blog are embedded in the template code. As such, the colors of these areas cannot be changed, unless you are willing to alter these images and upload these to your own image host.

However, I do plan to bring out a darker version of this template in the near future for those of you who would prefer a darker color scheme for your blogs ;)

Other than this, all other elements of this template may be changed, including all fonts, font colors and the border colors (which will also alter the color of the sidebar widget borders).

You can change these elements dynamically from within the Fonts and Colors section of your Blogger dashboard.

Download Options for this template

There are two options for downloading this template: the XML template (which should be uploaded to your Blogger dashboard) and the HTML Code (a text based file which you should copy and paste).

Here are links to each download version, along with full instructions for your to upload this to your blog.

XML Template Download

The following is the XML version of the "A New Day" Blogger template. To download this template, right click and choose "Save As".

Download XML File

Save this XML file to a convenient location on your computer.

Then go to Layout>Edit HTML in your Blogger dashboard. Near the top of this page, you will see a section which appears like this:

Use the "Browse" button to locate the XML template on your computer, then click on the "Upload" button to upload the "A New Day" template to your blog.

Once you have uploaded this template, you can then begin to add widgets, change the layout and tweak this template to your needs.

Read more about uploading Blogger XML templates.

HTML Code Template Download

For those who prefer to copy and paste template code for their Blogger blogs, I have also provided the full HTML code for this template as a text file.

You can view or download this file using the link below:

Download HTML Code

You may either view this code by following the link in your browser, or download this text file to your computer.

To upload this template using the HTML template code, simply highlight all of the text and copy this to your clipboard. Then go to Layout>Edit HTML in your Blogger dashboard. Highlight all of the code in the box, then paste the new code instead of the existing code.

Finally, preview your Blogger template to ensure everything looks well. If you have done this correctly, you should receive no errors and can proceed to save your new template.

Read more about uploading templates using the HTML template code.

Usage and Copyright Notice

All images featured in this template are hosted by Blogger Buster; you do not need to host these yourself (unless you would prefer to do so!).

This template is provided under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

This means that you may use, redistribute and modify this template in any way you like, so long as you provide correct attribution to the original author of this template in the form of a link back to Blogger Buster.

I hope that you enjoy this new template as much as I enjoyed creating it! Originally I had planned on using this for a new blog I've been working on, though as I was rather happy with the end result I didn't want to keep this to myself :)

Please do let me know your opinions or any questions about this template by leaving your comments below.

7 Blogger XML Template: Blue Steel (Magazine Style) Monday, March 24, 2008 /

Demo | Download

Here is a new 'magazine style' Blogger XML template for free download. This template is called "Blue Steel" and features a unique layout for the front page to include extra widgets beneath the main post section (though if you prefer you can use this theme as a regular three column template). Read on for full instructions and to download this unique Blogger template for use in your own blog.

There are many optional elements to this template. You may either use this as a magazine style theme (featuring more widgets than usual on the home page), or as a regular theme which contains only the main blog posts and two sidebars to the right.

Features of this template include:

• An optional magazine style layout for the home page


• Optional customized recent posts widget for the sidebar


• Themed icons for sidebar widgets, post features and post options


• Custom made favicon to match the blog theme


• Integrated search function


• Tabbed navigation with easy customization of links


• Related articles beneath each post on post pages


• Integrated (optional) post summary hack

Download the Blue Steel Blogger XML Template

You can download this template for free using the link below. This is a Zip file which includes the XML template and instructions to upload this template to your blog.

Download Blue Steel Blogger XML Template (Zip File)

Option 1: use Blue Steel as a Magazine Style Theme

If you would like to utilize the full potential of this theme, you will need to change a few settings and make some small changes to the way you usually post.

Display only one post on the home page

The ideal number of posts to display when using a magazine style theme is only one. Additional post excerpts will be visible from the "recent posts" widget which I will explain about soon.

To ensure only one post displays on the front page, go to Settings>Formatting in your Blogger dashboard, and choose "Show 1 Posts" on the front page.

Utilize the Post Excerpts Hack

This template includes code for you to show optional excerpts of posts on your front page. This customization was originally written by Ramani of Hackosphere, and is called "Selective Expandable Posts".

If you would like to utilize this facility, you will need to add a post template to your blog. To do this, go to Settings>Formatting in your Blogger dashboard. Near the bottom of the page you will see a box for you to add a "Post Template". In this box you will need to paste the following section of code:

Type your summary here

<span id="fullpost">

Type the rest of your post here

</span>

Then save this setting. Now when you create a new post, you will clearly see where you should write your excerpts and the remainder of the post.

For more detailed instructions about using this hack, please refer to this article.

Add the "Recent Posts" widget code to your sidebar

If you choose to use the magazine-style facilities for this template, you may also like to add the widget to display excerpts of your most recently written posts in the sidebar.

This widget was originally written by Hans of Beautiful Beta, though I have modified this slightly to make this more suitable for the Blue Steel Blogger template.

To add this widget to your sidebar, copy all of the code on this page and paste this into an HTML/JavaScript widget in the Page Elements section of your Blogger dashboard. Be sure to replace the section in red with the URL of your own blog!

Important Notes

The widgets which appear under the post on the main page will only be visible on the main page. On post pages, these widgets will not appear, so be sure to include important widgets in your sidebar instead.

Option 2: Using Blue Steel as a regular blog template

If you would prefer to use Blue Steel as a simple template (IE: not utilize the magazine style elements), all you need to do is delete any widgets beneath the Blog Posts section. The template does not require any additional settings or adjustments to work as a regular template (although you may like to add your links to the navigation bar in the header section. See below for details about this).

Other settings/widgets

Certain features of the Blue Steel Blogger template are applicable to both "magazine" and "regular" options.

Configure links in your navigation bar

This template comes with a pre-installed link list widget in the top right section of the header. When you upload this template to your blog, this link list will not contain any links at all.

To add links to the navigation bar, go to Layout>Page Elements in your Blogger dashboard and click on the "edit" link for this link list. You can then add links to the main pages of your blog and these will appear in the navigation section.

Links in the footer section

Right at the bottom of your blog template are some links which you can change to reflect the URLs of the main pages in your blog.

To change these links, find the following section of code in the Edit HTML section of your template:

<
<a href='http://yourblog.blogspot.com' title='Home Page'>Home</a>

 | <a href='http://yourblog.blogspot.com' title='About the site'>About</a>

 | <a href='http://yourblog.blogspot.com' title='Contact the author'>Contact</a></span>

Change the URLs highlighted in red to match those of your important post pages.

License and Credits

As mentioned earlier in this post, two of the scripts used in this template were written by different authors:

• The Selective Expandable Posts hack was written by Ramani of Hackosphere


• The Recent Posts widget was originally created by Hans of Beautiful Beta

You may download, customize and use this template however you choose. However, I do ask that the credits within the template code remain in place and that you do not redistribute this template without my consent.

0 Blogger template releases for 2/11/08 Monday, February 11, 2008 /

Each Monday, you will now find a new feature here at Blogger Buster: listings of the previous week's Blogger template releases, with information information, screenshots and links to the download pages.

If you are a designer of Blogger templates, please do let me know about your latest releases so I can include them in this weekly digest.

Zen by SuckMyLolly

A three column template in hues of green. Both the background and main content background colors can be changed in the Fonts and Colors section of your Blogger dashboard.



Download includes: a zip file including the XML template file, terms of use (with link to upload instructions) and the header image used in the template.



Demo | Download

Hot Hands by SuckMyLolly

A two column template featuring a header image and customizable backgrounds.



Download includes: XML template, Terms of use (including link to instructions for uploading the template) and header image.



Demo | Download

Dear Diary by Blogger XML Skins

While this is not such a recent theme, I discovered this after writing the 101 excellent Blogger templates post and really wanted to share this beautiful design!



Download includes: A zip file containing only the template code. To upload this to your blog, you will need to paste this into your Edit HTML section in your Blogger dashboard, replacing the content which is already present.



Download (there is no demonstration page for this template)

Modern Paper by TemplateGodown

A clean and simple theme with two sidebars to the right of the main column. The header section features an RSS icon for linking to your feed.



Download includes: a zip file containing only the XML template. To upload this to your blog, you will first need to save this file to your computer. Then go to Template>Edit HTML in your Blogger dashboard, and choose to upload this file by clicking on the "Browse" button near the top of the page.



Demo (temporary page!) | Download

The Erudite Template by Jashan of The Erudite Blog

I was quite impressed with this template. Neat and clean with a single sidebar to the right, this template also features social bookmarking links after each post, and a customizable RSS message to help encourage readers to subscribe to your feeds. You can also choose from seven different header images to use!



Downloading this template: on the download page, you will need right click the download link and choose to save this XML template directly to your computer. However, there are very detailed instructions for installation on the download page itself.



Demo | Download

I hope you have enjoyed reading this week's round-up of Blogger template releases. If you are a Blogger template designer, please let me know about your latest releases so I can include them in future round-ups and help other bloggers discover and enjoy your designs too!

29 101 Excellent Blogger XML Templates Friday, February 8, 2008 /

I love designing Blogger templates, and over the past few weeks I've been scouring the web to find the best, and most inspirational Blogger XML template designs. This post is a showcase of the best Blogger template designs available for free download, collected from some of the best sources on the web.

With 101 excellent Blogger XML templates in total, you're sure to find something you like in this list!

My Top 10

Aspire

Aspire by InfoCreek

I love the parchment style of this template, which comes complete with a calendar widget and customized comment count. Ported from the original Wordpress theme, this is a truly exceptional Blogger template!

Demo | Download

Polaroid

Polaroid for Blogger by eBlog Templates

This is a much loved theme for Wordpress users, so I was thrilled to see this converted for Blogger by eBlogTemplates!

You can change the polaroid picture to feature anything you want, and while some work is required to make all of the features work in this template, it is certainly worth the effort!

Demo | Download

Iplantilla

iPlantilla by Blog and Web

Another great WP theme conversion by Blog and Web. The clean, stylish theme of this template is what inspires me. All individual widgets are styled as you see in this preview, and it's very easy to use.

Demo | Download

Mosaico

I can't begin to tell you how cool this template is! With a grunge style theme and the best search box I've ever seen, this definitely deserves more than a second glance! By Blog And Web.

Demo | Download

Red White

Red White template by Jackbook

This magazine style template by Jackbook has plenty of features to offer, and looks great in the bargain!

Demo | Download

The Late Show

The Late Show by Liz Lubowitz (updated by Blog Crowds)

This excellent template was originally designed for Movable Type and won The Style Contest for the best blog design. After being modified by Blog Crowds, you can now use this template for your Blogger hosted blogs too.

Demo | Download

Colibri

Colibri by by John Oxton and Denis Radenkovic.

Beautiful, isn't it? While not quite as functional as some of the other templates I'll cover here, this is certainly an awe-inspiring design.

Download

iPhone

iPhone template by Geekhacks and Jackbook

Yes, the iPhone is everywhere these days, and now you can have an iPhone as your Blogger template design! But it does look great, doesn't it?

Demo | Download

TypoXP

Typo XP 2.1 by Ustadz

A web 2.0 style template for Blogger with navigation links and icon sets for the sidebar headings. Truly unique!

Demo | Download

Hemingway

Hemingway by Kyle Neath and Blog Crowds

A beautifully simple monochrome template. You really need to see this in action to understand why I love this one so much!

Demo | Download

Emire

Emire by Gecko and Fly

Simple and elegant, this template is a firm favorite of many Bloggers.

Demo | Download

The best of the rest

While these Blogger templates didn't make it to my personal top ten, the following are excellent Blogger templates! So in no particular order of preference, I present a further 91 stylish and well designed Blogger templates which are all free to use and download:

Andreas 02

Features tabbed navigation and an excellent header section. By Gecko and Fly

Demo | Download

Rotterdam

By Pannasmontata

Demo | Download

Glossy Blue

Hi tech, glossy magazine style with mini icons in the sidebar

Demo | Download

Wow (Smashing)

The Jackbook conversion of an excellent (OMG! style) template, with all features intact

Demo | Download

Semipro

With tabbed navigation and a web 2.0 feel. Designed by Dzelque

Demo | Download

Semipro II

A dark version of Semipro, by Dzelque

Demo | Download

Sky3c

Unique icons and title styling. Modified for Blogger by Blog Crowds

Demo | Download

02

A slick Web 2.0 style template featuring all the right styles, designed by Blog And Web

Demo | Download

Neo

A lightning fast, Ajax powered Blogger template which was designed to be customized with your own styling. Designed by Hackosphere

Demo | Download

Enlighten

A beautiful glossy blue and black theme with a feminine touch. Designed by Zona Cerebral

Demo | Download

Gluttony

Monochrome and very professional. By Zona Cerebral.

Demo | Download

Premium Brown

Yet another delicious template from Zona Cerebral. Features 125px square ad spaces in the sidebar, plus excellent use of icons throughout the template.

Demo | Download

Decorativo

I like the stylish curled corner in the top of the sidebar! Overall, a professional and well designed conversion by Blog and Web.

Demo | Download

Butterfly

Here's one of my own designs: the Butterfly template which features animated butterfly in the sidebar. This is probably the most downloaded template I have produced so far, and it's usable "right out of the box".

Demo | Download

DF Theme (3 Column)

Based on the classic Deziner Folio theme, Jackbook has converted this to a three column version for Blogger.

Demo | Download

Gossipcity

Another excellent conversion from Wordpress. By Blog And Web

Demo | Download

Resurrection

Dark and imaginative, with function for your Twitter feed and a great RSS/Feed icon. By Zona Cerebral

Demo | Download

Summer Love

A feminine two column theme by Blog Crowds

Demo | Download

Shylapa

Another finalist from the Style Contest modified by Blog Crowds.

Demo | Download

Mistylook

A classic and timeless design. By Blog Crowds.

Demo | Download

Cool Blue

A pale blue, Web 2.0 style template of my own design. Features unique sidebar design and calendar widgets.

Demo | Download

Red Web 2.0 template

A red version of the Web 2,0 style template

Demo | Download

K2

Another classic theme by Gecko and Fly

Demo | Download

Erudite (3 column)

A three column template for the guys... By Gecko and Fly.

Demo | Download

Flower Pink Border

And a template for the girls, by SuckMyLolly

Demo | Download

Smashing (magazine)

Based on the Smashing Magazine theme, by Blog And Web.

Demo | Download

Clean Elegant

Simple and fresh, by Jackbook

Demo | Download

Drivin to L.A.

A retro feminine theme by SuckMyLolly

Demo | Download

Underground

A simple but effective template by B-Themes

Demo | Download

Minyx

Another great template from B-themes which was converted from a Wordpress theme created by Mauricio Caballero.

Demo | Download

Quirky Valentine

A candy cute girly theme by Better in Pink

Demo | Download

City Tree

Yellow themes seem few and far between, but this one carries it off SO well! By Dan S.

Demo | Download

Terminal Black

A classy dark three column theme by Charm Skins

Demo | Download

Terra Blue

Clean and blue with an RSS icon in the sidebar. This template was designed by Charm Skins.

Demo | Download

Tropical Retreat

Doesn't this theme make you want to start a travel blog on a beautiful desert island somewhere..? Theme by Free Blogger Skins.

Read more and download

Beauty Beach

Another cute template by Free Blogger Skins

Read more and download

Simplicity

A fresh and feminine theme by Fresh Blogger Templates

Demo | Download

Terra Firma

A beautifully designed two column template. Converted from Wordpress by Fresh Blogger Templates

Demo | Download

The Missing Piece

Originally designed by CSS Templates, this theme has been converted for Blogger by Fresh Blogger Templates

Demo | Download

Beautiful Day

A serene, feminine template by Templates for You.

Demo | Download

A day without Chocolate

Delicious! A girly theme by Annie of BlogU

Demo | Download

Midnight

A widgetized version of the popular Blogger template, by Template Panic.

Demo | Download

Shinobi

A smooth dark Web 2.0 style template by Blogger Buster

Demo | Download

Aquaria

Shiny, Web 2.0 style template with an aquatic theme. By Templates for You.

Demo | Download

She's got style

This would be a great theme for a fashion blog or budding fashionista. Originally a Wordpress theme by Grab a Theme and Sweet Melancholy, ported to Blogger XML by Templates for You.

Demo | Download

LikeWise

This one's unusual: one wide main column with three columns in the footer. Ideal for Bloggers whose content is of first and foremost importance! By Thurbroeders.

Demo | Download

Snow Below

I just love this template by Annie of BlogU. It's so serene and pretty!

Demo | Download

Bloggin Out Loud

A well designed three column template by Gisele Jaquenod.

Read more and download

Birdies Secret Garden

A cute birdy themed template by Gisele Jaquenod.

Read more and download

Maserati

Simple two column theme with masculine elegance. By Final Sense.

Demo | Download

Agua

This cool minimalist template features header navigation links and a smart sidebar. Adapted for Blogger by Blog and Web.

Demo | Download

Dead

Dark and gothic, this theme will certainly have a fond following... Created for Blogger by Blog and Web.

Demo | Download

Autumn Grass

I love the concept of this template: a wholly interactive header with vertical links navigation, ad spots and even support for videos! Designed by K2 Modify (a variation of this theme is used in this blog)

Read more and download

Classic ProBlogger template

If you're a fan of Problogger, you may well regognize this theme. Created for Blogger by K2 Modify

Read more and download

Basic Black YouTube template

So you want to feature YouTube videos in your blog header? Then this design by K2 Modify is for you!

Read more and download

Eclipse

A simple dark theme with sidebar icons and header navigation. By Planet of Free Blog Templates

Read more and download

Hobbit

For Hobbit fans, this would make an excellent choice! By Hans of Beautiful Beta.

Read more and download

Flower Girl

Sweet and feminine without being tacky. By Free Blog Skins.

Read more and download

Bloggerized Adsense

Plenty of ad slots in this template, which makes it ideal for those who make money online! By Blogger Beta.

Demo | Download

Buy iPod

Great navigation in this tech-style template! Created by Jackbook.

Read more and download

Red Glow

Moody and dark, this template somehow reminds me of The Ghosts of Mars... Great template nonetheless! And very stylized. Designed by Jackbook.

Demo | Download

Fluid Solution

As the title suggests, this is a fluid template which will stretch to fit the browser window. Clean and simple, you can change the logo to suit your own tastes. Ported to Blogger by Jackbook.

Demo | Download

Mushblue

Another great Wordpress conversion by Jackbook.

Demo | Download

Gemstone

A lightweight blue and black design with many links in the header. Great for gadget/technology blogs. Originally designed by GemStone CSS, of Arcsin, and now ported by Erica Akira of Templates for You.

Demo | Download

Rosa

A simple two column blog with a STUNNING header! Designed by Blog and Web.

Demo | Download

Wordpress Admin

Would you like to confuse your visitors into thinking they have stumbled across your Wordpress admin page? If so, take a look at this "Wordpress Admin" themed template. Jackbook even did a great job of confusing me...

Demo | Download

JournalRed

Stylish and classic design by Dzelque.

Demo | Download

Tierra

A striking, earthy design by Blog and Web.

Demo | Download

Zen

Professional and relatively simple. Another great theme by Blog and Web.

Demo | Download

NeonNeon

Daring and inspirational, this template really hits the mark. by Blog and Web

Demo | Download

Sandpress

Professional and light, converted for Blogger by Zona Cerebral.

Demo | Download

Paper Border

Features a paper effect around the whole blog. Designed by Template Panic.

Demo | Download

Home Sweet Home

Monochrome template with a quirky, homely feel. By Template Panic.


Read more and download

iwork

Such a slick and usable theme! Converted from the original Wordpress theme by Jackbook.

Demo | Download

Neosapien

Striking and original, by Blog and Web.

Demo | Download

Candy Colored Dreams

A retro style theme by SuckMyLolly.

Demo | Download

Magic Paper

Mystical and artistic. A wonderful Blogger port by Blog Crowds.

Demo | Download

Top Secret

Make your blog appear as a top secret file! Ported to Blogger by Blog Crowds.

Demo | Download

Cat Crazy

Perhaps it's the cat lover in me... A cute and stylish template by Fresh Blogger Templates.

Demo | Download

Provincia

A shiny Web 2.0 style theme by Blog and Web.

Demo | Download

Sweet Dreams

This is quite an old theme now, but it's still one of my favorite designs.

Demo | Download

Firefox 2

Firefox fans will love this clear and simple theme by Final Sense.

Demo | Download

Gourmet Menu

A template for food lovers, by Blogger Buster.

Demo | Download

Fluid Width Three Column

Designed by Vin of Beta Blogger for Dummies, this theme will adjust fluidly to fit the browser size without breaking the template. Includes navigation links in the header section, and is optimized for search engines.

Demo | Download

Styleicious

This fresh and funky theme was converted from a Wordpress theme by Blog and Web.

Demo | Download

Yoghourt

The original Yoghourt Wordpress theme has always been one of my favorites, so I was really pleased to see Jackbook had converted this for Blogger!

Demo | Download

My Valentine

One of my most recent themes, this was designed in honor of Valentines'd Day, though it is a feminine and pretty blog theme which could easily be used all year round.

Demo | Download

Compaq

This unusual theme makes your posts appear as though on the screen of the computer! Designed by Final Sense.

Demo | Download

Pink Diva

A simple and "oh-so-girly" theme from Fresh Blogger Templates

Demo | Download

Voodoo

A cute, yet arguably sinister theme by SuckMyLolly.

Demo | Download

Super Custom

My latest template is probably the most customizable Blogger XML template yet! Users can change almost all background and font colors for each section using the Fonts and Colors interface, and do not need to hack the template code! This is optimized for ads with a wide sidebar which can include two 125px square ads side by side, and since there are no images used in this template, you can be sure it will load super fast!

Demo | Download (XML file)

I do hope you have enjoyed reading this article as much as I have enjoyed researching it! I would love to know of your favorite templates from this list, or of any other sites you know of which offer Blogger XML templates, so please feel free to leave your comments and opinions below.