If you like what you see here, are a creative crafter and have projects you want to share with the world, why not start your very own DIY or craft blog?
You might be thinking you’re not ‘techie’ enough to run a blog or that you don’t have enough time to start a blog, but what if I told you it was super easy and would only take 15 minutes or less to get started?
That’s right!
With this easy-to-follow, step-by-step tutorial, your very own craft blog will be launched in no time.
Let’s get crafty!
Disclaimer: Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links. We have used all of the products listed below and recommend them because they are helpful and are companies that we trust.
Contents
How to Start a DIY/CRAFT Blog
4 STEPS TO CRAFT STARDOM:
1) Choosing Hosting
After managing a website for several years, I learned a lot of hard lessons when it comes to choosing a hosting provider. A blog’s “host” simply stores your website and makes it accessible to readers. You have to have a host in order to have a blog.
Choosing the wrong one will cost you time, money, and a ton of frustration with your website going down and even crashing.
This has happened to me way too many times and I don’t want you to make the same mistake that I did.
One host that has been REALLY AWESOME, especially for starting a brand new website is Bluehost. They are affordable, rarely has any site down time, and offers incredible customer support.
Let’s walk you through their signup process below.
After you click the button, you will be directed to the page where you can choose your hosting plan. I recommend going with their Starter Plan, which is the most affordable plan and will give you everything you need to launch your blog.
Now let’s move onto picking your domain name, which is free if you decide to host with Bluehost.
2) Picking a Domain Name
This is the really fun part!
What do you want your brand name to be?
A domain name is your blog’s URL address, such as “MyCraftBlog.com” or this blog, “CoolCrafts.com.” Since you chose Bluehost as your host, your domain name is free.
Choosing your domain will most likely be the hardest part of the entire blog setup. See, I told you this process was easy. You’ll want a name that’s easy to remember, describes your blog and is catchy. If your craft blog will specifically be about sewing, for example, you’ll probably want to include “sew” or “sewing” in the domain name rather than just “crafts.”
Once you’ve thought of your name, enter it into the box below shown on the screenshot to make sure it’s available. If it’s not, keep brainstorming.
Once you’ve picked your domain name, you’ll then be taken to the “Package Information” page, which allows you to pick and choose what features you want. None of the additional charges are necessary, so feel free to uncheck all of those boxes.
The only one you might want to keep is the “Domain Privacy Protection” to shield your personal information from the public.
3) Installing WordPress
Once you’ve registered and paid with Bluehost, it’s time to install WordPress. Most websites and blogs run on WordPress since it’s easy to install, easy to use and easy to customize.
To install WordPress, watch the video or follow the simple steps below!
Login to your Bluehost account and find the Website Builders section. Scroll down and click on the “WordPress” logo.
On the next page, click “Install” button as you will be doing it yourself.
Select the correct domain name (the one you just registered) and leave the box next to it blank
Check the box that you’ve read the terms and conditions and click “Install Now” button.
Once WordPress is installed, click “View Credentials” at the top right-hand corner. Write down your Admin URL, Username and Password and store them somewhere safe. You’ll need this information to login to your website.
To access your site, type the Admin URL into your address bar and enter in your username and password.
Congrats! That’s it. You are now ready to start blogging about your favorite crafts and DIY projects.
4) Choose a theme
Steps 1-3 should take no more than 15 minutes, most likely less. Now, it’s time to play around with WordPress and learn the ins and outs of getting your blog started.
Under “Appearance” you can select “Themes” and choose a free theme for your site. You can play around with this as you don’t have to keep the first theme you choose. The best way to learn is to dive right in. If you have questions along the way, you can contact Bluehost or simply “Google” your question.
Eventually, you might want to pay for a theme or have a web designer create a custom theme for you, but you don’t need to worry about that just yet. Right now, all you need to focus on is creating great crafts to share with the world!
If you are looking for a premium theme, I highly recommend the framework this website runs on:
Genesis Framework – This is the same framework we are using here at Cool Crafts. This offers a variety of different child themes to select from and all themes are responsive and mobile friendly. Google loves these!
So what are you waiting for?! Click here to start your craft blog today!