Create Your Own WordPress Blog

Hello!

I’ve put together a post about how to start your own WordPress blog. I thought it would be helpful for anyone who wants to create a blog, but doesn’t know where to begin. :)

First, make sure your parents are OK with you starting your own blog! Talk to them about what you can and cannot say online. Some things you can’t say might be your full name, birthday, location, etc. As soon as you get the go ahead from your parents, you can create your own blog!

Step One — Create Your Blog

First, go to WordPress.com. Click on the big blue button that says “Create Website.”

WordPress will then take you to a screen where it’ll ask you to choose a theme. Don’t spend too much time selecting a theme, as this isn’t the full spread. Besides, you can always change your theme later.

Once you pick a theme, it’ll take you to another screen. This one will ask you to choose a domain — what you type in the search bar when you’re going to a website. Type in your blog’s name, scroll through the options that are brought up, and choose a free one.

Next, you’ll be asked to pick a plan: Free, Premium, or Business. Choose Free, which is all the way on the left. It’s what I use for Happy House of AG. ;)

Somewhere along the way, you’ll need to create an account. It’s pretty straightforward, so I didn’t bother to take a screen capture.

Then, after a bit of loading, your blog will appear!

To write your first post, click the little button of a pencil located on the top right of the screen.

Once the new screen loads, you can begin composing your first post. Try to make a good impression, but don’t drag it out. This is what I wrote in the post above:

Hello, World!

My name is ______, and this is my blog! My hobbies include ______, ______, and ______. Check back for more fun posts!

Thanks for stopping by!

Insert name here

You’re welcome to use the text above as a base for your first post. You can tweak it all you’d like.

Over on the left side of the screen is a white menu. This is where you can add things like categories, tags, featured images, and more.

When you’ve finished your first post (make sure to proofread it for typos!), publish it by pressing the blue button helpfully labeled “Publish.” Or you can save it, and post it at a later time.

In order to view your drafts (what your post is before you publish it), click the “Drafts” button at the very top of the white menu. It will take you to this screen. You can access and edit all of your unpublished posts from this area.

If you want to add a page to your blog, just click on the “Pages” button on the white menu.

 

Creating a page is exactly the same as writing a post. Type whatever you want to say and publish or save it.

Step Two — Customize Your Blog

Now that you’ve learned how to write a post, let’s move on to Step Two . . . customizing your blog! Click the little “Customize” button on the white menu of your Dashboard.

It will take you to the customization screen, where you can add widgets, change the background color, upload a header image, and more.

Let’s start with changing your blog’s name and giving it a tagline. Currently, the name being displayed is whatever the URL is — in my case, exampleblog241. “exampleblog124” is a terrible name for a blog, and this is how you can change it!

Click on the “Site Title, Tagline, and Logo” button, which is found in the left menu.

Type in your blog’s official name in the “Site Title” slot. I choose to call my example blog simply My Blog. (You should try to come up with a much more original name than that. ;) ) Write the tagline in the second slot: a little more information about your blog. I wrote A blog about a teen girl and her life.

Next, give your blog a colorful background! You can either upload an image (a pattern is best) or choose a solid color. Select “Colors & Backgrounds” on the left menu. There are squares of colors displayed on this menu, which, according to WordPress, “will work well with the other colors on your palette.” Beneath these squares is the sentence You can also pick your own color. Click on the words “pick your own color” and follow the instructions.

Want to change your blog’s font? Click on the “Fonts” option, which, like everything else so far, is on the left menu. Scroll through the fonts available for headings and the main font and choose the ones you like best.

Once you’re happy with the way your blog looks, click the “Save & Publish” button on the top left of the screen.

Go to your blog and see that your edits have come to life!

If you want to change your theme, scroll over the “My Sites” button on the top left of the black menu on your blog. Select the “Themes” button.

They have TONS of themes available. Many of them are free, but some you have to pay for. Look through the themes until you find one you like.

Voila! New theme.

Have any questions about starting a blog? Leave them in the comments, and I’ll reply to them as best as I can.

-Loren