• secondgradereading

    (@secondgradereading)


    I just migrated from blogger.com and set up a new account with Bluehost. They had the newest version of WordPress that was stable installed online. I now have the site up with dorky basic theme.
    I am trying to pick out a basic minima stretch type of theme that I could change the background color and colors of the fonts and font type. Nothing fancy. This is just going to be a blog. Want it simple and be able to put in some widgets on the right side.
    I go look at the themes and they are so busy and when I type in minima stretch into search it only pulls up one that doesn’t look like minima stretch. I am a bit overwhelmed and just want something simple I can make few changes to.
    I feel like the guy who walks into the grocery store in the movie The Hurt Locker and so many choices, it is hard to make a choice. He just wants a simple cereal and I just want a simple stretch minima type theme. Where do I find such a theme easily without having to look througfh 14K themes?

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 26 total)
  • esmi

    (@esmi)

    What’s a “minima stretch” theme? Try filtering on the number of columns you want for a start.

    Thread Starter secondgradereading

    (@secondgradereading)

    Here is what we started at blogger now we are at http://www.secondgradereading.org at bluehost.

    http://secondgradereadingblog.blogspot.com/

    jrav001

    (@jrav001)

    This can easily be manipulated to look like your current theme:
    http://themeclubhouse.digwp.com/

    Thread Starter secondgradereading

    (@secondgradereading)

    Is this a free theme? I went to the link but not sure how to go about using it.

    inspired2write

    (@inspired2write)

    I went to the link but not sure how to go about using it.

    The easiest way to install a theme, (from the WordPress site) is directly from your dashboard. Go to Appearance > Add New Themes > Search for the theme that you want and install from there. OR –

    You’ll need to load a theme onto your hard drive, leave it zipped. Use your ftp service (your host should have sent you an email to provide you with the info on how to access your site files through an ftp – files transfer protocol).

    Then you would install the theme through the ftp, and be sure you install it in the correct theme directory:

    wp-content/themes/yourthemehere

    Also, keep in mind that you want to be cautious when choosing a theme to ensure it does not contain malicious codes. Take a look at this thread:
    http://wordpress.org/support/topic/384389?replies=3
    The sticky thread at the top of this forum section.

    Thread Starter secondgradereading

    (@secondgradereading)

    Yes I have been slowly going through the themes and figured it out while waiting for a response. I did try to limit my search but still have many pages to go. I also figure out that I would have to buy a book at themeclubhouse and make all the changes myself no set theme to download from what I can tell. I am just surprised that wp doesn’t have your basic stretch minima which is one of the common templetes you can choose from at blogger since so many folks migrate from blogger. I only migrated so I could get a shorter domain name and use bluehost to place ads if I want. With blogger I was up and running that day figuring out all sort of changes. What is great about minima is how it allowed you to do so many changed with it and you didn’t really have to figure out the code so much just track it down and past it in the area you wanted it.

    inspired2write

    (@inspired2write)

    Did you search the theme directory?
    http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/
    Just make sure you select a theme that is suitable for your version of WP

    inspired2write

    (@inspired2write)

    Forgot to add:

    What is great about minima is how it allowed you to do so many changed with it and you didn’t really have to figure out the code so much just track it down and past it in the area you wanted it.

    I’m familiar with what you’re saying because I have several Blogger blogs on my own domains, using the minima template customized to my liking. However, you have to keep in mind that Blogger and WordPress are two different animals all-together. Using a Blogger template, you’re only having to mess with html, but with WordPress it’s php so you will have to apply a different strategy when you want to customize things.

    Thread Starter secondgradereading

    (@secondgradereading)

    When I do look into making changes to the default theme I noticed there is html numbers to change the header color. I also notice there is an editor that appears to be html where changes can be made. I know nothing of php. I just learned how to paste html to make changes at blogger. So is there a good editor that would be the interface like blogger does for changes to the basic theme? I down loaded Gimp yesterday and have PSE 5.0 along with MS office 2007 with Win7 64 bit. Would like to do this simply with minimal expense.

    esmi

    (@esmi)

    I’ve never used Blogger, so what kind of customisations are available with this minima template? Perhaps we could narrow down a search of the theme directory.

    jrav001

    (@jrav001)

    Working with wordpress isn’t going to be the same as blogger, but wordpress does have a built in editor. Go to Appearance – Editor.

    Or, use a simple text editor and ftp your changed files to your server.

    Just remember to keep backups in case you get an unintended result. πŸ™‚

    btw – the theme link I posted earlier is indeed free of charge and spam-free – just click the download button.

    inspired2write

    (@inspired2write)

    Here’s the basic minima template he’s referring to (but only it’s not the ‘stretch version’. There’s also a ‘minima lefty stretch’ version of this:

    http://preview-minima-blue.blogspot.com/?hl=en

    This link shows the newest customizations available for their templates:
    http://bloggerindraft.blogspot.com/2010/03/blogger-template-designer.html

    Thread Starter secondgradereading

    (@secondgradereading)

    Well first you choose the templete and stretch minima allows the header to be very wide on top. It also allows two columns. Basically you just go into dashboard, layout, colors and fonts and then click for example background color, then click on of the few they offer or you can type on html color code and voila your page is now a different color, of course you save the setting or try another color and it will automatically change it so you can see it before saving. You can do this color and font changes with various parts of the page. Very easy.
    There is the top header where you can just put in picture or also include text. All you do is at layout you select page elements and then select the header area and then you can upload picture or just put in Title. Under that is another long wide area where you can upload picture or paste in html for another function or put in text. Then you have a widget area on the right hand side and you can add as many as you like by finding widget html code on web and paste it in. You can move the widgets by dragging them around to change the order they they line up on the right hand side. Also a widget area on the bottom of the page where you can paste in html. Also you have a choice of things you can do in widget areas like create lists, and a bunch of other things. For list you click it and then a menu pops up and you fill in the title of the list and add something to the list. Or you can select links and add a link. You should try it and open one up for free.

    inspired2write

    (@inspired2write)

    secondgradereading,

    Did you search from either your dashboard, or from here?

    http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/tag-filter/

    You can select the boxes in that search that will provide the features you’re looking for such as, ‘custom header’ ‘2 column’, ‘3 column’ etc.

    esmi

    (@esmi)

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 26 total)
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