WordPress.com offers two different options
A. If you don’t purchase the CSS upgrade, you can alter the appearance of your theme only through the use of customized headers and sidebar widgets.
- You can choose a theme from the admin area of your blog -> Appearance -> Themes
- Many provide for a customized header and most have sidebar widgets to allow for posting of unique images, etc. with which to personalize your blog.
B. You can edit your css style sheet or create one of your own only if you purchase an upgrade and undertake css customization yourself. However, you cannot edit the underlying html or php in the theme template.
- If you do not wish to use one of the themes made available at wordpress.com through your admin section -> Appearance -> Themes then you can choose to undertake css customizing a wordpress.com theme or make your own, or you can move to self hosting or a web host and altering an available theme.
- CSS customization can be used to improve on any existing theme; you can define your own classes for use in posts; you can select the Sandbox theme and build on one of the Minimalist layouts or, opt for no stylesheet and do it all yourself. If you feel you are up to the challenge of customizing a theme then these entries: Custom CSS , Custom CSS Improvement and Discount, Editing CSS will be helpful.
- Although there is a CSS forum and other bloggers may volunteer to help you if needs be, and there are also css resources that you can access, it’s important to understand that there is no staff support for css customization.
- The 15$ you pay to upgrade a wordpress.com blog enables you to to alter the appearance of your theme and but not the underlying php code. Purchasing the upgrade entitles you to customize css on one blog for one year.
WordPress.org offers free software to self-hosting bloggers
Although some themes at wordpress.com and at wordpress.org may appear to be the same they are not; the software is different. Check here for an outline of the differences between wordpress.com and wordpress.org. You can also confirm this by consulting the wordpress.com Support Documentation.
Happy Blogging!
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
:: 
Teck
April 21, 2008
Hello Time~Thief How are you doing today
I’m writing a post called “how to create a successful blog”
I will be sending you a track back to this post because I have in the post.
About picking themes also I will be posting a link in the post to your blog
under (resources) i wanted to give you a advance notice. So you know ahead
of time… :)
P.S. I notice you got your glasses because you have been
posting more… :)
timethief
April 21, 2008
Hi Teck,
It’s always good to hear from you and here you are again with a link in hand, so to speak. Thanks so much, in advance.
I’m actually working on two full static pages of resources but I have to review each blogging tool before I can write up the posts and finish the pages, publish and release them.
It probably looks like I’m doing zilch to my readers but I am working. I’m also enjoying the forum in the Blog Catalog community. There are really great bloggers there so don’t hesitate — join. :)
I’m adjusting to the glasses and I can now wear them for about 3 hours at a time. Then due to the veritgo, nausea and headaches I have to take a break. That, of course, means that I’m always running behind but I can see Teck — I can see!
Take good care until we chat again
Teck
April 21, 2008
Hello again Time~Thief
I joined “Blog Catalog’ and it says
In order to verify blog ownership, BlogCatalog requires you to place a BlogCatalog Widget, link, or meta-tag on your blog.
i placed the readers widget and a “Blog Catalog” button on my blog
and I got this message
So do I have to want for them before my Account is approved
sorry for the dumb question
timethief
April 22, 2008
G’day Tech,
Yes ,you do have to wait for blog approval. I believe they want to be sure no one is a splogger or spammer. While you are waiting for blog approval you could use the little linked red and gray icon – see the top of my sidebar rather than the widget. (I’m not into sidebar tat. I tend to have a lot “cleaner” looking blog than most folks do.) I belong to both BC and mybloglog but I prefer BC because they have foums and because I get more traffic than I do from mybloglog.
Teck
April 22, 2008
Hello Time~Thief
Thank you for the reply
I also added you as a friend on Blog Catalog
& my blog log….
timethief
April 22, 2008
I’ll reciprocate. :)
framez
July 11, 2010
cool but i am a free usr
timethief
July 11, 2010
Then this post applies to you if you have a free blog from wordpress.COM that’s being free hosted by wordpress.COM.
Penina
May 2, 2011
I found your post in a Google search and thought to ask a question about a WordPress theme (used on a self-hosted WordPress blog on hostgator), particularly a theme that I’m using. I’m not a developer, and have no idea what to edit in the theme to correct it’s width: it extends indefinitely to the right, but has no scroll-bar at the bottom. If I left-click and scroll to the right with my mouse, the theme just keeps on goin’. This is a link to what my site looks like when I move my mouse to the right: [link removed by timethief]
(and this is the link to my demo site that I’m working on: [link removed by timethief]
Can this be fixed ? If so, what files should I edit and what do I change? Thanks for any and all help…
Penina
timethief
May 2, 2011
I cannot help with this. We cannot edit themes or templates on wordpress.COM You need to post to the correct support forum for your software. http://wordpress.ORG/support/
Penina
May 2, 2011
Hi timethief. I took a head-first dive into the theme’s files (style.css) and saw that under ‘main layout info’, the coder accidentally set the #menu-right width at: 2000px! (unbelievable). I changed it to 23px and the width problem is a-okay! (Probably should be 20px but I like it better at 23px). I’ll keep your site bookmarked though, just in case I get another case of: It’s time to pull my hair out…again. LOL. Your site’s great by-the-way. The theme I’m using is My Cuisine theme by Elegant Themes, in case someone else experiences the same problem.
timethief
May 2, 2011
I’m sory but I cannot help with this. Your blog is self hosted. You ought to post to the correct support forum for your software. It is here > http://wordpress.ORG/support/