You don’t have to use a pre-existing template; you can create your own template from scratch. First, open a blank document and create your template. You can use whatever elements you want; just remember to keep it general so the template acts as a style guide, and so you don’t have to remove a lot of text to use it. Here’s an example:

Now, click the File menu and click Save As. Type your document’s name, and for the file type choose Document Template (.dot). You should also change the file location as Word buries it deep within your C drive; if you want it to appear in the templates dialog box save it to C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Templates.

Click Save to complete the process. Now, you can open your template (as you would a document, or using the Templates dialog box if you saved it in the correct location) and use it as a guide just like a pre-defined template.