How to Keep HTML Theme When Adding a WP Blog?

by Jay Rhome

Posted: 13 years ago 7 replies

WEB DESIGN

Hi guys and gals

I have a client with a fully designed HTML site with a nice look, and she wants me to add a blog to it.

No problem, I can add Wordpress in 5 minutes, but even though the look can be a tad different on the WP blog, it'd be a good idea to have a lot of the HTML home page header, tabs, menu, etc. in the blog section as well.

I will use the Flex Theme, use the same header, but for menu tabs, links, background images, it gets more complicated.

How do I go about creating a theme as close to the look and options as the HTML site?

Or is the easiest answer is using Fiverr and the like to get this done ?

Thanks

#adding #blog #html #theme

Istvan Horvath 13 years ago

The very short answer: make a theme based on the existing site's design, using the elements (graphics, parts of the stylesheet etc.)

I don't know of any other way and I am doing this WP-thingy since 2004...
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webapex 13 years ago

You might want to identify a real theme maker, I have seen books on the subject as well as a Lynda.com unit titled WordPress 3: Creating and Editing Custom Themes

Another possibility for light duty use might be to slap a wp blog into an iFrame.
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â€œAn expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow fieldâ€ Niels Bohr
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- Istvan Horvath 13 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by webapex
  
  Another possibility for light duty use might be to slap a wp blog into an iFrame.
  
  I'd strongly advise against this ^^
  
  Thanks
  
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  Jay Rhome 13 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Istvan Horvath
  
  I'd strongly advise against this ^^
  
  Ah. Thanks for that as I was considering it.
  
  I'll probably create a similar theme out of the existing elements. The thing is the html site has a quite complex, "non-square" design, that is hard to fit on a WP build. But hey, I'll do what I can.
  
  Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
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  csmcmanus 13 years ago
  
  Are you using DW to do your work in? Or similar code hinting wysiwyg editor? If you are then reskinning the wp blog won't be that hard. I have found that the twentyten theme is probably the best and easiest to rework.
  
  At its core, the wordpress set up is pretty easy to define. It's just a header, body, sidebar and footer. Once you rework the outer html elements, you can pull out the php hooks and slide them into place pretty easy. Here is an example of what I mean example1 has the blog in a subfolder resembling the overall look and feel of the main site. Same with this one here
  
  It does get a little more hairier should your client want to run with a two sidebar layout on either side. Don't know if this helps or not, but I am sure once you id your core spots and the php hooks you'll be able to rock and roll
  
  Thanks
  
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indolesman 13 years ago

Just pay a designer to do it, there are plenty of people around on here.

There is a program that can help you slice images and make them into wordpress themes, I dont know what its called, but someone else here will know.
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Jay Rhome 13 years ago

The last example integrates totally. That's a job well done!
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