Top Resources for Free Blog Templates . Blog Better

February 27, 2012 separator Blogging

image via Explore Plastic Surgery, edited

Does your blog need a bit of a facelift? Are you using a stock template from the Blogger dashboard? Even if your content is top-notch, you may not be able to hit that next level of professionalism without a really organized presentation. 

Browse these resources below – some of my favorite sites for templates. Most are for Blogger, so if you’re looking for help with WordPress, check our Kira’s Primp My Blog for the WP version over at Her New Leaf. 

When you find the perfect template, and you’re ready to install it, check out my post on how to install a new template.



Pugly Pixel currently has three free templates. They are all relatively minimalist in design with a clean, modern look and lots of opportunity for customization. This is especially nice since Katrina, the designer behind Pugly Pixel, has put together tons (seriously – lots) of fantastic, in-depth tutorials, as well as free and paid resources to bling out your blog and posts. In fact, she even sells a Blog Bling Kit for $28. It’s a great way to take your blog’s look to the next level for a pretty low cost – especially when you see how much comes in the kit. *Note: I’m only recommend Katrina’s resources because I’ve used (and loved) them in the past and think she deserves lots of praise and traffic. I’m not getting paid or compensated for posting about Pugly – or anything else in this post. 


The Cutest Blog on the Block has several templates to choose from for absolutely free. Most of the templates come in both two- and three-column layouts. Most (or all) their templates do have the TCBOTB logo in the upper left corner, which could be a deal breaker for many people. *Note: Templates from this site install differently. You won’t download an XML file like I talk about here. They include HTML code with installation instructions though, so don’t worry! 


AllBlogTools.com has a seemingly endless stockpile of free templates, and you can search by layout, topic, color, features, and more, by hovering over the menu at the top left. I recommend checking out their “Free Premium” templates under the “By Topic” option. That’s where the one above came from, and I think that it’s an incredibly professional option. There’s plenty of room for tweaking colors, fonts, and more, once you learn the ropes a bit, but it’s fantastic even if you never touch the coding. 


BTemplates has more than you’ll ever need, boasting over 4,000 free templates. You can search by column, style, color, sidebar, width, or you can see which templates are most viewed and most downloaded. That way, you can go for something popular – or avoid getting the same template as half the internet! You should take a look at their “Adapted from WordPress” category under “Style.” These are often really nice and polished looking.

More Sites with Free Templates

13 comments

  5. mmm… I guess before attempting the impossible, I have to get do an HTML full-immersion (hihihihi).
    – Thanks Lindsay!

  6. Lacquered Lady – Thanks for letting us know how much that helped. I love the bokeh in your header!

    Helen – Glad you’re liking the series. I’ll definitely check out that site!

    MaJo – I’ve made all my changes in the HTML and CSS coding. With a highly customized template, you can’t always make changes with the Blogger dashboard. You have to go straight to the code.

  7. It’s me again ^_^
    I finally found some of the Design Disease’s templates for blogger. I thought once I uploaded it, I would have been able to modify the overall width, and background colors but I couldn’t. Do you know how to do this?
    Thanks!!!

  8. Hi Lindsay!
    I noticed your blog’s design is an adapted version of a Design Disease template. I really love you layout, and I’ve been trying to find a similar one to use for my blog (3 columns, with a side column wider and visually separated from the other side column). I visited the Design Disease website, but noticed all of their templates are for WordPress, how did you do it?
    Thanks!
    Your Blog Better posts are very helpful!

  11. Hi Lindsay, just wanted to tell you how much I’m loving this series. Thank you so much for providing such a useful and easy to follow guide! My blog is very plain at the moment and although I kind of like it that way, I know I’ll give it a makeover at some point. Sageandberries.com is also great for new blogger resources!

  13. I love Pugly Pixel! I just purchased a monthly subscription to gain access to Katrina’s premium content!

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