DIY | How to start a blog

Blogging Guide

DIY | How to start a blog

A little guide about starting a DIY-blog

+ with free printable worksheets to get started!

Several people asked me how they could start a DIY-blog. Well.. I’m a little bit surprised when I’m asked for some blogging advice, because I still see myself as a bloody beginner, even after one year of blogging. I’m pretty sure my advice goes against everything “the experts” say, so read this with „caution“. Hrhrhr :)

So if you’re reading this, you’re probably interested in starting your own blog, aren’t you?

I first started by doing some research about blogging, especially about DIY-blogging. Ohh I was so confused about all theses unknown terms. What means hosting, url, wordpress, template, FTP…?

So, I’ll share a description of my way into the blogosphere. Maybe it isn’t the ultimate guide but at least you know that it is possible to start a (DIY) blog without pre-knowledge. I didn’t know anyone who could help me out, so I DID it myself. And there it was: my very first DIY was already born :)

How to start a DIY blog

DEFINE A CONCEPT FOR YOUR (DIY) BLOG …

I knew the first step to take was about defining a concept. I was pretty sure to share creative projects about crafting and designing. A DIY-Blog. But then I thought, there should be something really personal: a certain style, the chosen name, some kind of storytelling…So I was reflecting on my lifestyle. How do I want to live and how do I want to share some advice about this lifestyle. For me COZINESS is a very important factor, but not in a lazy connotation. It’s more about handling stressful situations, knowing how to relax, how to live mindfully and most of all how to add more creativity in your daily life.

… + CREATE A DOMAIN NAME

So after 6 month of searching for the right name which could include my concept of living cosily and creatively I decided to use my family name COSYN and changed it into COSYMORE. The funny thing is that I actually didn’t realize until that day, that my family name includes the word COSY. So my decision was clearly made. :)

My advice here: REALLY TAKE YOUR TIME FOR CHOOSING THE RIGHT NAME. After you’ve found one, head over to BLUEHOST and have a look if it’s still available.

Blogging + Foreign Language

‘FOREIGN LANGUAGE’: HOSTING, TRAFFIC, FTP, WORDPRESS, TEMPLATE + BLABLABLA

Good news: You don’t need any informatics studies to complete the next steps!

Okay, I have my name. Do you have yours? Now it’s time to HOST your domain name. Finding „a home or space“ on the web to show your chosen domain name. This can be really overwhelming. There is so much choice between hosting systems. So again, take your time.. I’ll tell you what I’ve learned during this period.

What is relevant when looking for the right hosting system? Storage space! I was told that I should have at least 100MB. This should be enough for text and images and even sound files.

Another important point to check is TRAFFIC. This is all about the file transfer which happens when your followers are browsing through your blog. The best choice to make here: Find a hosting system with a traffic-flatrate.

Don’t be confused now, but when you’re creating your own blog, you will certainly stumble upon these next terms. 1) Script language PHP. This is important when you want to install your own Weblog. 2) Make sure that your web host provides you with a MySQL database. The database will be used by the software, WordPress for instance, to store all your posts, web pages and visitors’ comments. But don’t worry! You don’t have to learn more about this, how to use it etc. WordPress will do this confusing, weird work for you :) Perfect, isn’t it?

CAREFULLY study the different offers from Web Hosts. Personally I wanted to find a web host which also provides support when there is something which isn’t working. So that I could call them.

One last thing you’ll need is a FTP-program. You can download this for free: https://filezilla-project.org – FTP means FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOL. It is necessary for transferring files between your computer and your web host’s computer.

Okay, so enough of these complicated terms. Haven’t you fallen asleep yet? Hrhrhr…

After I had gone I went through all this stuff, I finally made it to the famous wordpress installation, which isn’t that complicated. And once you’ve done that step, too…well guess what?

CHOOSING THE RIGHT TEMPLATE FOR YOUR BLOG

You can start by finding a cool template (the look/layout for your website) which suits your needs. The creative part begins!

I first made some sketches about how I wanted my website to look. I recommend you to choose a design for your blog which reflects the blog concept. Do some research and write down anything you like about your favorite blogs. What makes them look so special for you?

Well that’s pretty everything I can tell you so far about the first steps into the blogosphere. Trust me, it isn’t that complicated :)

To make it even easier for you, I’ve made some printable worksheets for you to get you started: 

Let’s DIY! Start your own blog!

Wish you a cosy sunday evening!