Before you begin
Understanding the code
Changing the sidebar
Saving the changes
Ready-made templates
Widgets for your blog

Before you begin

Create a practice blog to experiment
Before making any changes, copy and paste your template on a text file (use your word processor or any text editor) and save it (just in case!). Even if you make a mess of it, you will be able to restore your template back to the previous state.

Understanding the code

Study the code. You may want to print it. Identify the two main parts of it. The first half is the "style sheet". It is what makes the blog look as it does. It has to do with colours, shapes, fonts, etc. Scroll down through the code. You will spot the <body>tag. Here begins the area where you can paste HTML code to add logos, slideshows, clocks, and whatever add-ons you like.
Make sure you identify the main areas in the body area: HEADER, MAIN (post and comments), SIDEBAR (profile container, links, archives) and FOOTER.

Changing the sidebar

Locate the Sidebar area. This is where the Links are. If you want to add a link, copy one of the preexistent links and edit it.
If you wish to add a widget or image to the sidebar, be careful to check its width. If the object is wider than the sidebar, the latter will be pushed down to the bottom of the blog. You can change length and width (ex.: WIDTH="200"HEIGHT="112") to make your add-on fit into the available space.
If you want to add a title to the sidebar, also copy one of the existing titles and edit it.

To put a widget (e.g. a chatboard) into the Template of your blog:In Blogspot, there is a <p> near the end of the Template code that allows you to add your own code. So once you find that place holder, you can paste in your own code, removing the <!---- first.

A footnote: you may not be able to see the board when you look at the "draft" state--you'll have to save it first, possibly.

Elizabeth

Saving the changes

Always preview the edits you make. Take into account though, that previews may differ slightly from the way the blog will look like.
If the preview image is OK, hit "Save template changes." If it is not, click on "Clear edits." This will erase all the code you have introduced.
After saving template changes, you will have to republish your blog. You can choose between republishing the entire blog or the index only. The former applies the changes to all your blog pages (even archive pages). This would take too long if you have a big blog with lots of posts. So if you are just trying a new template design, hit "Republish index" which will apply changes to the index page only.
After republishing your blog, you will want to see the new look of your blog. To view the changes, remember to refresh the page.