diff --git a/sass/style.scss b/sass/style.scss
index d9d9636..8b66492 100644
--- a/sass/style.scss
+++ b/sass/style.scss
@@ -252,13 +252,18 @@ p {
   padding: 20px 0;
 }
 
-input[type="text"], input[type="password"] {
+input[type="text"], input[type="password"], textarea, select {
   border: 1px solid black;
   border-radius: 3px;
   padding: 7px 10px;
   width: 100%;
   box-sizing: border-box;
-  background-color: $lighter;
+  resize: vertical;
+  background-color: color.scale($accent_color, $lightness: 40%);
+  
+  &:focus {
+    background-color: color.scale($accent_color, $lightness: 60%);
+  }
 }
 
 .infobox {
diff --git a/static/style.css b/static/style.css
index 44f4396..0718596 100644
--- a/static/style.css
+++ b/static/style.css
@@ -244,13 +244,17 @@ p {
   padding: 20px 0;
 }
 
-input[type=text], input[type=password] {
+input[type=text], input[type=password], textarea, select {
   border: 1px solid black;
   border-radius: 3px;
   padding: 7px 10px;
   width: 100%;
   box-sizing: border-box;
-  background-color: rgb(229.84, 231.92, 227.28);
+  resize: vertical;
+  background-color: rgb(217.8, 225.6, 208.2);
+}
+input[type=text]:focus, input[type=password]:focus, textarea:focus, select:focus {
+  background-color: rgb(230.2, 235.4, 223.8);
 }
 
 .infobox {
diff --git a/views/common/bbcode_help.etlua b/views/common/bbcode_help.etlua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9ce4a25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/views/common/bbcode_help.etlua
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+<details>
+  <summary>Supported babycode tags</summary>
+  <ul>
+    <li>[b]<b>bold</b>[/b]</li>
+    <li>[i]<i>italic</i>[/i]</li>
+    <li>[s]<del>strikethrough</del>[/s]</li>
+    <li>[url=https://example.com]<a href="https://example.com">labeled URL</a>[/url]</li>
+    <li>[url]<a href="https://unlabeled-url.example.com">https://unlabeled-url.example.com</a>[/url]</li>
+    <li>[code]<code>code block</code>[/code]</li>
+  </ul>
+</details>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/views/threads/create.etlua b/views/threads/create.etlua
index 2f4d205..c79705e 100644
--- a/views/threads/create.etlua
+++ b/views/threads/create.etlua
@@ -1,13 +1,18 @@
-<h1>New thread</h1>
-<form method="post">
-  <label for="topic_id">Topic:</label>
-  <select name="topic_id", id="topic_id" autocomplete="off">
-    <% for _, topic in ipairs(all_topics) do %>
-      <option value="<%= topic.id %>" <%- params.topic_id == tostring(topic.id) and "selected" or "" %>><%= topic.name %></value>
-    <% end %>
-  </select><br>
-  <label for="title">Thread title:</label>
-  <input type="text" id="title" name="title" required><br>
-  <textarea id="initial_post" name="initial_post" placeholder="Post body" required></textarea><br>
-  <input type="submit" value="Create thread">
-</form>
\ No newline at end of file
+<% render("views.common.topnav") -%>
+<div class="darkbg settings-container">
+  <h1>New thread</h1>
+    <form method="post">
+      <label for="topic_id">Topic</label>
+      <select name="topic_id", id="topic_id" autocomplete="off">
+        <% for _, topic in ipairs(all_topics) do %>
+          <option value="<%= topic.id %>" <%- params.topic_id == tostring(topic.id) and "selected" or "" %>><%= topic.name %></value>
+        <% end %>
+      </select><br>
+      <label for="title">Thread title</label>
+      <input type="text" id="title" name="title" placeholder="Required" required>
+      <label for="initial_post">Post body</label>
+      <textarea id="initial_post" name="initial_post" placeholder="Required" rows=5 required></textarea>
+      <% render "views.common.bbcode_help" %>
+      <input type="submit" value="Create thread">
+    </form>
+</div>
diff --git a/views/topics/edit.etlua b/views/topics/edit.etlua
index 384245f..4265b1e 100644
--- a/views/topics/edit.etlua
+++ b/views/topics/edit.etlua
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
-<h1>Editing topic <%= topic.name %></h1>
-<form method="post">
-  <input type="text" name="name" id="name" value="<%= topic.name %>" placeholder="Topic name" required><br>
-  <textarea id="description" name="description" value="<%= topic.description %>" placeholder="Topic description"></textarea><br>
-  <input type="checkbox" id="is_locked" name="is_locked" value="<%= ntob(topic.is_locked) %>">
-  <label for="is_locked">Locked</label><br>
-  <input type="submit" value="Save changes">
-</form>
-<form method="get" action="<%= url_for("topic", {slug = topic.slug}) %>">
-  <input type="submit" value="Cancel">
-</form>
-<i>Note: to preserve history, you cannot change the topic URL.</i>
\ No newline at end of file
+<% render("views.common.topnav") -%>
+<div class="darkbg settings-container">
+  <h1>Editing topic <%= topic.name %></h1>
+  <form method="post">
+    <label for=name>Name</label>
+    <input type="text" name="name" id="name" value="<%= topic.name %>" placeholder="Topic name" required>
+    <label for=description>Description</label>
+    <textarea id="description" name="description" placeholder="Topic description" rows=4><%= topic.description %></textarea>
+    <input type="submit" value="Save changes">
+    <a class="linkbutton" href="<%= url_for("topic", {slug = topic.slug}) %>">Cancel</a><br>
+  <i>Note: to preserve history, you cannot change the topic URL.</i>
+  </form>
+</div>