Getting to know Blogger: A Tutorial

Our next step in the Better Blog Series is getting to know the features of Blogger by creating a custom blog layout.

There are a lot of things you can do to customize your blog that most people don't know about.

So, lets get going!

Step One:
Clear out any existing HTML you might have added as a gadget that pertains to your backdrop. For example, if you have a background from the cutest blog on the block, you need to clear it out and start from scratch.
Then, go to your design tab and select Template Designer.

Step Two:

Select the whatever blog layout you would like under the templates tab.

You can change it up later so if the colors are wrong don't worry.

Step Three:

Under the Background tab, select a background image. You can also upload your own if you want to go completely custom.

Step Four:

You can adjust the width of you blog under the Adjust widths tab.

If you use large photos or videos, I suggest increasing the size to the max.

Step Five:

Choose your layout.

There are many choices for you here, just choose the one you like best.

I prefer the three column layout.

Step Six:

The Advanced tab has many things to choose from.

This is going to be your customizing station. 

Under Gadgets, you can change the font, size and color of your side bar and date titles.

Under Post Title, you can change the font and size of your blog titles.

You can change the Date Header and Post Footer to your taste.

When choosing fonts, blogger now has many more to choose from than the basic few there were before.

Explore your options, I know you will find something that works for you.

Step Seven:

To Center the header on your blog, scroll down to Add CSS. 

Copy and paste the following lines into the Add custom CSS box:

Click APPLY TO BLOG

So there you go.
There are many ways to customize your blog without needing a pre-made template.
Plus, it will be all your own!
Feel free to comment with any questions.
Good luck!