How to Make a Simple Blog Button for Free

Until a short while ago, I had no idea how to put a button on my blog (that is, without paying someone else to do it for me) and I really wanted to see if I could make my own.  Something very simple and graphic free was all I was looking for.   

Step 1: Creating Your Button

There are plenty of sites out there to help you make a blog button.  I found Cool Text, a logo and graphics generator website to be easy and free.  They have many generic buttons to choose from - I wasn't sure at first about using them UNTIL I figured out that I could totally manipulate them to create my own custom button.  

So, select a generic button from the "Choose a Button Design" section on the site to get started.  This is the button I chose to work with:

After playing around with the font, shape, text and colours of the "girly" button, I ended up with my very own customized grab button for my blog:

After you have created the button you want for your blog, click the "render button" at the bottom.  From there you can a) download the image and b) generate the HTML code.  Copy this code into a word document and proceed to step 2.

Step 2: Creating the Button Text Box 

This is the text box that will appear under your blog button.  It is the "code" that people copy and paste into their blog and add to their sidebar.  Clicking this button on their blog will bring them directly to yours.  

I followed the easy instructions I found here to create my text box.  Make sure to skip directly to step #3 since you have already generated your HTML code.  

As for my button, it is exactly what I want: plain and simple.  It's definitely not as "pretty" or as eye catching as many of the buttons I have seen, but I like it and for now it's perfect.  Of course there are many sites that give an easy explanation of how to make a button using the graphics from your blog too.  So go ahead and give it a try if you haven't already!

- Kristin -