How to Create Sparkle Cursors on Tumblr
By Irene A. Blake
Tumblr allows you to change various account elements, including blog icons, backgrounds and cursors, to customize the site to fit your needs. A sparkle cursor creates a trail of white, black, red, pink, green, rainbow or other colored sparkles as you or visitors move it around your blog. To create this special effect, add a section of custom code to your blog theme’s HTML.
Acquire Sparkle Cursor Code
To find free sparkle cursor code on Tumblr, type “#sparkle cursor” in the Search field, press the “Enter” key and then review posts from other Tumblr blogs. Once you find a sparkle cursor you like, highlight the available code and press “Ctrl-C” to copy it. You can also find free sparkle cursors on websites devoted to customizing Tumblr, social networks or websites in general, such as Tumbling.net, Snazzyspace and Mf2fm.com (links in Resources).
Insert the Code
Insert the sparkle cursor code into your blog theme’s HTML using Tumblr’s theme editor. Go to the blog where you want a sparkle cursor and click the “Customize” option to open the editor. Click the “Edit HTML” link next to the theme’s thumbnail to access the Edit HTML screen. Look for the <head> tag near the top of the theme’s code. Click the spot right after the “>,” press the “Enter” key twice and then press “Ctrl-V” to insert the copied sparkle cursor code.
Test the Cursor
After you enter the code, you need to check that it works before you save the change and return to your blog. Click the “Update Preview” button and then roll your cursor over the preview pane on the right side of the screen to confirm that the sparkles appear as desired. When you're finished, click the “Save” button, click the back arrow icon and then click the “Exit” button.
Warnings
Always paste the code near the <head> tag instead of elsewhere on the Edit HTML screen to prevent making a mistake that interferes with other theme elements. If an error occurs, go to Tumblr’s Recover Custom Theme page (link in Resources) to revert to an earlier version of the theme. Click “View Backups," pick an earlier version and then click its “Revert” button. Information in this article applies to Tumblr as of February 2014. It may vary slightly or significantly with other versions or products.
Writer Bio
Based in Southern Pennsylvania, Irene A. Blake has been writing on a wide range of topics for over a decade. Her work has appeared in projects by The National Network for Artist Placement, the-phone-book Limited and GateHouse Media. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Shippensburg University.