GIMP How-To: Simple Blog Button

Promoting your blog can be a little stressful at times. Being a new blogger myself, I am always trying to find new ways to grow my readership and blogger relationships. The blogging community is a fantastic place to make friends, business relationships, support, and to share creativity... but you probably know that. I have had my blog for a little over a year now, and just recently decided to get myself out there. There is no doubt that beautiful aesthetics attract the eye. When looking for new blogs to read, I often find myself gravitating towards blogs with a clean layout, crisp design, and great photographs before I even read the content. One of the ways I look for new blogs is by clicking the sponsor buttons on my favorite blogs. I often click on buttons that are clear and crisp, aesthetically pleasing, and interesting.

Within the past couple months I have started to participate in button swaps. I have had some success and some failures in creating buttons that fit my criteria. Here are a few things to look for when making a button:

1. Don't let your button get lost in the crowd. This happened on my first buttons swap. I sent off my button and got an email back saying that she had put it up on her site. I was so excited that I immediately went to her site to see it. I couldn't find it! I must have looked up and down the column five or six times before I finally found it smack dab in the middle.

2. Keep it simple. In the button world, less is more! Buttons are very tiny, if you put too much on it people won't know what is going on!

3. Make it interesting. It's almost like a miniature work of art!

4. Make it you. I don't know how many times I have clicked on a button and it have nothing to do with the blog at all. Make sure that your button matches your content, which should match you.

So now that you know what to do, lets talk about how to do it!

If you don't know how to add text. Click HERE!

It really is very easy and quick! I have made a ton of different buttons and each time they get better and better! and I always have fun creating them. Don't forget that you can always add more elements to your button like clipart, cutouts, and designs. I put the imaginary "Adventurous" blog button up on my site just to see how it looks. 

Does it follow the rules?

1. Lost in the crowd? No it is easy to see!

2. Simple? Yes!

3. Is it interesting? Yeah!

4. Is it me? Well this doesn't really apply since it is an imaginary blog button... 

If you have any questions/comments please feel free to comment/email me! If there is anything that you want to learn how to do on Gimp please let me know! I am taking tutorial requests. As I have said before, in my previous GIMP tutorial posts, I am not at all an expert! I am still learning too! 

I would love to see what you create! or better yet let's swap buttons! I would love to support your blog! Just send me an email at carli.randolf@gmail.com

Carli

P.S. You can download GIMP (a free photo editing software) HERE. You can see my other GIMP tutorials on resizing and cropping images or adding text.

Vintage Finds: Cute As A Button.

You know that saying "Cute as a button"? Well, buttons literally are the cutest. A couple months before I moved home my dad called and asked me if I wanted this jar full of buttons from my grandma. My response was "Heck yes!" I told him that if he ever finds anything button, outer space, or music related to save it for me. Since I have been home I have acquired many things that are related to those specifics.

I am not an expert sewer, but I do love the idea of sewing my own clothing. Next semester I am going to take the first of three sewing classes in college. I hope to become an expert by the time I graduate! I am excited to bring my little jar of buttons and the plethora of fabric that I own to college in the fall, and hopefully create many beautiful things with them!

Carli