My Bloglayout Tips!

-
EN

I have patched up my own blog layout but I’m no expert or a professional layout maker so my layout is mostly build with basic html and css codes. And it is still not done yet!
I thank you for your positive comments and feedback too! Even though I’m no professional html and css coder I’d still like to share my tips, advices and handy sites I have used for my blog layout.
NL

Mijn nieuwe blog layout heb ik zelf in elkaar geflanst ontworpen. Ik ben zelf geen expert erin dus mijn lay-out is inelkaar gezet met de meest eenvoudige html en css codering. 

Mijn layout is nog niet helemaal klaar hoor maar dankjewel voor de positieve reacties en feedback van jullie! Ik ben dus geen expert maar zou graag mijn tips, trucjes en handige sites die ik gebruikt heb met jullie delen.

  1. Get started!
    What I did firstly is draw out a rough sketch and concept on piece of paper. This way it gives you a look of what your future blog layout may look like! Have fun and set your creativity, idea's and the 'ifs' lose on paper!

All the visual aspects

  1. Colors
    I have to admit that I'm a color person so I always have a dash of colors blooming in my blog. Bloggers who only use black and white as their main color often gives a nice clean and calm blog feel for readers. I want to achieve the same with colors! My tips:
    1. Find your colors by mix and match with paint testers!
    2. Choose no more than 3 main colors. To many colors distracts and it is also wise to know where to place the colors: if the background is colorful, make blogpost/sidebar more neutral.
    3. Colors = mood! My main colors are: light blue (relax), yellow (optimism) and coral (tranquilizing).4. White space: a very colorful and bright layout might bring clutter and overwhelm the readers. By adding white spaces it will make the elements in your blog layout more recognizable.

  2. Background
    In my previous layout I have a background pattern which I have left out in my newest layout. Not that I have outgrown patterned background but simply I want have a calmer and cleaner look. If you are planning to add patterned background make sure it is set to tiles. 

  3. Head banner
    For my newest layout I have designed a head banner in Photoshop. Head banners are the first thing visitors will see and that is: the name of the blog (durrr) and a quick description of the blog abouts in words. My descriptions are not in words but instead I drew it. 
    Make sure your banners speaks 'you' and your blog!
      
  4. Font and typography 
    My current most used fonts: Georgia, Arial (Arial is the most readable font!) and Courier New. Not only are these fonts are used in my blogposts but also in the rest of blog layout. I think it's wise to limit the font use as it keeps legibility too. For other web fonts I get them from Google Fonts. 
    My main language is English and a few years back I've translated my blogpost in Dutch too but not 100%. I want to provide easy reads to both groups by making 2 columns with Office Word. Though I'm still looking for another way to make the rest of my blogpost easy to read for English and Dutch visitors. 

The layout placement

 
  1. Sidebar
    For my newest blog layout I want to have a sidebar because sidebar is a great space where I can place all my topics to be an eye catcher and to give visitors a clear idea of what to expect of my blog.

    Uncluttered
    My plan for my sidebar is to keep it clean, neat and easy to navigate for visitors.
    I've decided to leave out commercial ads because honestly they are not really anyone's favorite right? And mostly they are not directly related to my blog content and plus it's a waste of sidebar space.
    Another plan for an uncluttered sidebar is to have a better 'intro' of my blog with profile picture, no screamy but subtle and enough to draw attention in my welcome greetings. The next thing is to make navigation through my blog easier. 

  2. Navigation
    I am a lifestyle blogger and I have many topics and ideas that I want to share with the world. Making a simple and crystal clear navigation is very pre. I want to lead visitors as best as I can with buttons and categories. Hopefully I haven't made anyone tremendously lost in blog! Another great blog navigation is the 'search' bar for fast findings.

    I want my travel posts to stand out a bit more so I've made a map! A lot of guys have mentioned my little travel map and I've received positive comments of it! Thank you! I have created in Photoshop and upload it through Image-maps (free).

    Navbar
    I have made a scroll-with navbar with minimum button use. One of the new buttons are: press, categories and shop. I believe to not overdone the buttons or it will confuse visitors. Navbar or navigation bar is again a good shortcut for visitors to check out your blog.
  3. Footer
    This time I've shorten and cleaned up my footer by removing my GFC, replacing my Instagram widget and blogroll. To personalize, I've add my little Ice Pandora motto and social media links on a nice yellow background.

 Handy sites!
  • Html and css coding tips, tricks and hacks: I, II, III - it's meant for Wordpress mainly but a lot of these codes works for Blogspot too.
  • Free blog templates: Designscrazed
  • Stuck with a Html/css code? Get help at Stackoverflow, w3schools and leerhtml (Dutch)
  • Create fun free graffiti names at Graffiti Creator
  • My top 10 blogging tips, right here!

Comments

  1. Claire @ Eleventh AvenueMarch 6, 2016 at 2:33 PM

    I love behind the scenes stuff. So much detail is put into your layout, it's so beautiful! Thank you for showing us your process!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Vale ♥March 7, 2016 at 1:21 AM

    Lovely advice, very useful, I also use paper and pens to design my layout =)

    Fashion and Cookies - fashion and beauty blog

    ReplyDelete
  3. AudreyMarch 7, 2016 at 6:43 AM

    My favourite place to go for colour inspiration is Design Seed :) -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey's

    ReplyDelete
  4. kidgrannyMarch 8, 2016 at 8:34 AM

    Thanks for these tips!

    ReplyDelete
  5. UnknownMarch 8, 2016 at 1:01 PM

    This is great, thanks for sharing! I really like your blog, let me know if you would like to follow each other! x

    adelelydia.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. ChloéMarch 16, 2016 at 12:18 AM

    Girl, I love your little drawings. Have you heard of Bullet Journaling? I feel like you would absolutely love it!

    chloé⎪ status.chlo

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

You might also like...

DIY: Mini Whip Cream

-
Image
EN Or you can call them ‘scrubbies’ but I use them to create whip cream for my crochet cakes and cupcakes! They also make great home decorations by putting them into a maison jar! Did I just inspire you to make them as a gift for your friend, mum, girlfriend..? I’ll say: go for it! NL Of ze worden ook wel ‘scrubbies’ genoemd en ze zijn bedoeld om je lichaam mee te wassen en te scrubben. Maar mijn versie is klein en dienen ze als toefjes slagroom op mijn gehaakte taartjes en cupcakes! Ook doen ze aardig als huis decoraties bijvoorbeeld in een leuke glazen pot! Ik zou zeggen: maak ze voor je vriendin, mama, GF!  Echt een leuk blij makerij c:    You need:  Cotton yarn or wool ,  crochet hook (cotton = 2 - 3 mm, wool = 3 - 4 mm) ,  scissor ,  needle       I've actually stuffed a bit of stuffing in it.    The Steps: Row 1: chain 11 Row 2: skip first stitch and start with the 2nd stitch (see picture)
Read more

DIY: Crochet banana

-
Image
EN This week is officially my back-to-work week from my 6 wonderful weeks off Summer break. And like always it takes some time to adjust, to get my inner work engine warmed up again and like always take a deep breath. It’s kind of the same feeling going back to school but instead of school it’s work. Yay. Since it’s my first work week and it’s first of September why not kick it off with a DIY post. You know to keep our mind working! And this time I take you guys through another fruity crochet tutorial where this time it’s all about the bananas! Happy bunch of bananas because a banana provides good energy to our body, anti-stress and of course is a good snack for every monkeyheads like us! Like always I tend to keep it simple and this banana crochet is very novice, I promise. And if not you can always leave a comment or a mail for questioning. Please try it out!    NL Deze week is mijn eerste werk week weer begonnen na een heerli
Read more

DIY: Crochet Miniature Cinnamon Rolls

-
Image
EN It’s holidays and Liberation Days in The Netherlands and with all these delicious day offs, I’ve finally got more time to do my yarn works. And yes sleeping in late is also great. But mostly I’ve been really productive with my yarn works, whereas the most recent ones - the puff pastry/Danish I have received a fair amount of likes and sweet comments on my social media. Thank you! Being productive means also I take effort and time in perfecting my yarn works but not too hard to make luckily! Especially the snail rolls (cinnamon rolls/pain aux raisin) are really easy and fun to make. And because sharing is caring, I’m sharing you my little secret of making these crochet cinnamon rolls!    NL Heerlijk de meivakantie met al die vrije dagen kan ik lekker ongestoord op mijn haak werkjes storten. En natuurlijk ook heerlijk uitslapen hoort erbij maar de laatste tijd ben ik super productief geweest met haken. Mijn meest recente werkjes - het bladerdeeg/broodjes/Da
Read more