What's the best way to implement major design changes?

[Annie]

I'm currently in the process of redesigning my blog (I use Blogger). I'm redoing the background, header, various static pages, changing the layout, etc. Right now I have created a private test blog in order to test these changes as I finish each new piece. Once I'm ready to make the changes on my actual blog, what's the best way to do it? Is it best to make the blog temporarily private, or should I leave it public and just make the changes one at a time? Does it work to copy the entire HTML template from the test blog and paste it into the HTML template of the actual blog? I'd love some tips on this.

Thanks!

[Kelly (Diva Booknerd)]

Hey there. I did the same a few months ago, redesigned something much simpler. I did it the same way, created a test blog and played around until it looked decent and just changed a bit at a time. Uploading the template I modified left all my gadgets askew, little by little gives you more control.

[Annie]

Okay, thanks. I think uploading all of the pieces separately leaves less room for something to go majorly wrong.

[Hannah]

I think you can download the template from the test blog and then upload it to the actual blog.

I personally prefer doing little by little, but most of it was done before I made my blog public so there wasn't much for me to do.