During Cebu Blog Camp 2010, one of the speakers was Aileen Apolo, Google Country Consultant. Her talk was on using Blogger, the new Blogger Template Designer. The Blogger Template Designer is a feature on Blogger Draft. Here is a demo and introduction video:

Amazing, right? The Blogger Draft at http://draft.blogger.com, an alternative dashboard for Blogger users who want to try out the new and upcoming features of Blogger.

I tried this out on both Davao Poker and Pinoy Reader. Here is how Pinoy Reader looked like before I used the Blogger Template Designer:

Old Blogger Template

Here’s the Blogger Template Designer:

Blogger Template Designer

Using the template designer, you can choose from four available templates. With which you can pick from hundreds of images and patterns that you can use as the background of your blog. You can also use from different lay-outs: single column, two columns, three columns, with the side bar on the left or on the right, etc. And finally, you can customize the look of your blog by changing the sizes, styles, and colors of the fonts. And you can view your choices with the preview below the options.

Preview while designing:

Blogger Template Designer Preview

And after choosing the template for you, arrange and customize your gadgets. With some minor tweaking…

My New Pinoy Reader Template:

New Blogger Template

Nice, right? Try it out.

I just noticed recently that my Blogspot / Blogger blogs are lacking a search box. A few moments after I made that realization, I read this Tweet from Aileen Apolo that the Blogger Search Box gadget is now available to all. Serendipity, I tell you.

So I immediately used the gadgets on my active Blogspot blogs. I installed it on my Davao Poker blog…

Blogger Search Box on Davao Poker

Here’s how you can add this helpful gadget to your blog:

1. Go to your Blogger dashboard.
2. Go to “Layout” > “Page Elements”.
3. Click on “Add a Gadget” on the side bar.
4. Click on “Search Box” on the pop-up dialog box.
5. Edit the settings as necessary… title and other options.
6. Click “Save.”
7. Drag the Search Box Gadget to the location that you want it to be on in your blog layout.
8. Click “Save.”

It’s that easy.

And guess what… if you have a Blogger Blog in Filipino, the search box is also in Filipino. There’s already one on my Ate Ria Blog.

Blogger Search Box in Filipino on Ate Ria Blog

The search boxes are, of course, powered by Google.

Cool, right? Add your search box now.