How to Build a Basic Blog with Headway Themes 3.0

(Want the video tutorial? Grab this premium video walkthrough.)

One of the kinds of website I build all the time with Headway Themes is a blog. Headway makes it easy to build any kind of blog you want in about 10 minutes (give or take a few minutes for explanations and design). Let’s go through the setup procedures, shall we?

Before We Get Started

If you don’t have a copy of Headway Themes, grab the framework for $68. You can use it on unlimited websites. Once that’s done, go ahead and install Headway Themes like any other WordPress Theme.

How to Setup Your Blog Index Layout

Once you’ve got headway installed, go ahead and jump into the visual editor. You can get there from the page Headway takes you to after installation (click to enlarge):

Once you’re in the visual editor, we’re going to start by selecting a basic blog layout from the new grid wizard. Like this:

Now technically this is where you could stop, but we’re going to do some interesting things, starting with resizing our content block and making our widget area bigger. This can be done by dragging the edges of the content block and widget area block until you’ve got good sizes (about 300px for the sidebar and like 560px for the content). My new grid looks like this:

How to Disable Full Posts in Headway 3.0

Let’s say that you want a blog index like Headway Expert, where all the reader sees are excerpts. This can be done by modifying the content block settings. Click on your content block’s settings button, go to display, and select “Show Excerpts” from the Content Display option. It looks like this:

How to Setup Single Posts & Pages

Once the blog index is setup, we’re going to have to edit the “Single” page to make sure our pages and single posts don’t end up showing their excerpts. Before we can edit the page, however, we need to clone the blog index layout. Click “Single” from the pages list in the left-hand panel and then use the grid wizard to clone the blog index. Like this:

Now we just have to set the content block to display full posts. It’s the same as when we made the blog index display only excerpts, but we’re choosing the other option. Like this:

Design Cheating: Install a Child Theme

Alright, we’ve got our structure done! You can use the design editor to make your new blog look pretty. If you’re pressed for time, a child theme will give you a design in 30 seconds! For the purposes of this demo, I make a new child theme: Quiet Flame (light) (88)

(Pro version with alternate colors coming).

Don’t know how to install a child theme? Click here to learn how.

How to Upload a Header Image

Uploading a header image (logo) for your blog is actually pretty easy. Click on the headway block’s configuration button and then look for the “Header Image” option. Hit the “choose image” button and use the WordPress media uploader to add your header image. Like this:

Want to See This Done Live?

Want a better look at how I built the final product? Download the premium video package available for $24.99. This 23-minute walkthrough will show you how to do all of these steps in HD video. It’s the same process I’d use if I were doing it with you live via consultation, so you’re getting one-on-one support for $25 less. Cool, huh? Grab your copy now:

Download the Video Walkthrough