Do you have a badge or award that you want to post in your sidebar? It’s easy enough to do.
Right click the picture and save as a jpg on your computer, someplace where you can find it again.
Upload the picture into your WordPress media. Towards the bottom you’ll see an URL for it. Leave that window open as you’ll want to copy the URL.
In another window, open up your widgets (under the appearance tab in the dashboard). You want to use the image widget. Click and hold, then drag it to the right into the primary sidebar. You can drag them up and down to get into the order you want.
At this time, a window will open up. If it doesn’t, click the little down arrow to the right of the image widget now in the primary sidebar.
Paste the URL into the image URL line. Click the little box to center the image.
On the link URL line, paste in an URL so that someone clicks on the badge, it takes them to a page that explains what the badge is for. It might be from your blog where you’ve accepted the award and passed it on or it might be a link to the information page for a challenge that you’re participating in.
Save, then close (it goes back to a single line that says image).
For more information (and pictures), go to:
http://en.support.wordpress.com/widgets/image-widget/
For some troubleshooting tips (not specific to this though), go to:
http://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/widgets-not-showing-up-in-side-bar-1?replies=8
Easy peasy. To see how it looks and works, go to my regular blog at Living The Seasons.
If you’re interested in creating your own badge, see Blogging With Amy’s excellent tutorial on how to do that. She makes her badges 125 x 125 pixels, which is a little small. I suggest doing 200 x 200. It’s easier to downsize than to upsize (the resolution gets grainy). I did mine using Photoshop Elements.
A Daily Life 
January 1, 2012 at 11:05 pm
Nice post. Clear directions in a place where your fellow bloggers can find it is most welcome. I at least would not have figured it out without your assistance. Thanks.
January 2, 2012 at 7:24 pm
You’re welcome! Thanks for the encouragement.
January 1, 2012 at 11:43 pm
THis is very helpful information. Can I do the same for adding a picture of the cover of my book on my sidebar? I will be a frequent visitor and asker of questions. Thanks!
January 2, 2012 at 7:26 pm
I would think you can. Blogging by Amy has one for her book. I sent you a separate reply, but I think you need to get a good picture or graphic of the cover, convert it to a jpg that’s no more than 200 x 200 pixels (or the longest side being only 200 pixels and the other side being whatever it is to keep it from being skewed – make sure to constrain the proportions).
Then follow the directions to put it out there.
January 2, 2012 at 7:28 pm
Actually, Amy has a square badge that leads to a separate website about her book, which is where she has the picture of her book. It’s not constrained by size that way and is slightly bigger than if it was in a sidebar.
http://bloggingwithamy.com/
http://tellyourtime.com/
January 2, 2012 at 11:24 pm
Thanks so much for this valuable advice. Let me play with it when I have a minute. Then I will get back to you. I am somewhat technically challenged but I try.
January 3, 2012 at 11:25 pm
Did it work?
January 4, 2012 at 10:26 pm
It did!! (little dance) I can’t beileve I did it – with your able assitance that is. Thanks so much. And you were right,it was easy peasy!!! You are now officailly my hero.
January 4, 2012 at 11:43 pm
You’re welcome! I’m glad I could help. Reducing the image so the longest side was only 200 pixels was a very minor tweak in Photoshop.
January 8, 2012 at 11:28 pm
thanks to your instructions i think i have my candle lighter and my joy forwarder badges fixed.
January 9, 2012 at 9:38 pm
I saw that. Glad I had them out there for you to use.
January 17, 2012 at 3:04 pm
All bloggers are invited http://wp.me/P1Dwwo-jn
January 17, 2012 at 9:56 pm
Thanks Jake! And congratulatons on the Candle Lighter Award, although I don’t think you quite needed my help in getting it posted on the sidebar :)
The link that Jake is giving here is for a postaday2012 logo. It’s very cool looking, just like the other graphics on his blog.
January 17, 2012 at 6:05 pm
Thank you so much for these instructions. I got my awards added successfully in a minute.
January 17, 2012 at 9:51 pm
And it looks very nice! Congratulations and thanks for the nice note.
January 29, 2012 at 2:29 am
thank you so much for this post! simple and easy to follow…really appreciate it! :)
January 30, 2012 at 12:04 am
You’re welcome! I’m glad it helped you. I hope you looked around to see if there are other things here for you also.
February 28, 2012 at 8:34 am
Nice share!
February 29, 2012 at 12:01 am
I’d been answering this on a number of blogs. People really struggle with this one, so I finally decided to get it written out. I’m glad you liked it.
April 1, 2012 at 11:51 am
Thank you for this info, it’s really helped!
April 3, 2012 at 11:22 pm
Jude – you’re welcome. I’d had so many questions on how to do it, I thought I’d write it out.