Creating a custom magento template
<!--
In order to make it appear in the layout dropdown you need to create a custom module (you can also add something in a core file but please don't do that). Let's name the extension Easylife_Layout. For this you need to create the following files: app/etc/modules/Easylife_Layout.xml - the declaration file-->
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<config>
<modules>
<Easylife_Layout>
<active>true</active>
<codePool>local</codePool>
<depends>
<Mage_Page />
</depends>
</Easylife_Layout>
</modules>
</config>
<!--
app/code/local/Easylife/Layout/etc/config.xml - the configuration file
-->
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<config>
<modules>
<Easylife_Layout>
<version>0.0.1</version>
</Easylife_Layout>
</modules>
<global>
<page>
<layouts>
<lookbook module="page" translate="label">
<label>EnterTemplateNameHere</label>
<template>page/1column-lookbook.phtml</template>
<layout_handle>lookbook</layout_handle>
</lookbook>
</layouts>
</page>
</global>
<frontend>
<layout>
<updates>
<easylife_layout>
<file>easylife_layout.xml</file>
</easylife_layout>
</updates>
</layout>
</frontend>
</config>
<!--
app/design/frontend/{interface}/{theme}/layout/easylife_layout.xml - the layout file
This last one is necessary in case you want to be able to reference your custom layout in layout files. Something like:
<update hande="lookbook" />
-->
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<layout>
<lookbook translate="label">
<label>Lookbook</label>
<reference name="root">
<action method="setTemplate"><template>page/1column-lookbook.phtml</template></action>
<action method="setIsHandle"><applied>1</applied></action>
</reference>
</lookbook>
</layout>
http://magento.stackexchange.com/questions/1140/magento-1-7-adding-custom-layouts-for-cms-and-category-use-with-custom-module-tr