I wanted to post some themes for those of you who do not have a whole lot in your budget – or for those who don’t have a budget at all!

First, I want to stress that there are free WordPress themes that offer you some customization.  However, don’t expect to have all the bells and whistles.  But don’t worry – there are plenty that you can utilize that will work for you, and still be eye-catching.

Solon by athemes

Solon is 100% responsive.  What’s responsive?  It will look great on all devices – regardless of the device size.  You can customize the layout, change the colors to what you would like, and has custom widgets to enhance your site.

I utilized the Solon theme for the Sins Sisters Book Club website.

If you have a self-hosted WordPress blog, click Appearance > Themes > Add New.  Once there, enter Solon in the search bar on the right.  Once the theme appears, put your cursor over it and click install.

Origin by AlienWP

Origin is also responsive.  Recommended for someone who wants a minimal theme.  You can add a custom background and header, and there is a color picker.  It also has a selection of Google fonts built into the WordPress theme customizer.

I utilized this theme (through wordpress.com – which means I had limited access to some of these features) on my personal blog.

If you have a self-hosted WordPress blog, click Appearance > Themes > Add New.  Once there, enter Origin in the search bar on the right.  Once the theme appears (it is the first result after you search), put your cursor over it and click install.

Mary Kate by angie makes

This is a feminine theme.  Please note, there is also a premium version that costs $70, which of course has more features.  The free version includes a feminine, minimal look.  It too is responsive.  You have a selection of full-width or with sidebar posting.  There are many more options if you have $70 to spend.

You will have to download this theme and install it manually.

Scrappy by Caroline Moore

This one is kind of “you get what you see”, but I still think it is pretty for anyone looking for a feminine layout.  You can change the background, and customize the menu.

If you have a self-hosted WordPress blog, click Appearance > Themes > Add New.  Once there, enter Scrappy in the search bar on the right.  Once the theme appears, put your cursor over it and click install.

Romangie by tobscore

romangie

Another responsive, minimal design.  It also supports all the wordpress post formats, so you can include videos, music, chat logs, quotes and all the other great stuff that comes with WordPress.

If you have a self-hosted WordPress blog, click Appearance > Themes > Add New.  Once there, enter Romangie in the search bar on the right.  Once the theme appears, put your cursor over it and click install.

These are just a few of the many selections of free themes available.