This plugin allows to set a featured image for each category. 
Posts without a featured image set will show the category’s featured image instead. 
Featured images usually are placed by the theme in the single post page, in the latest posts page, etc. 
But can also be shown using the shortcode [cfi_featured_image] or the PHP function cfi_featured_image(). To get the featured image URL I added the function cfi_featured_image_url().
Shortcode/PHP function optional arguments:
<ul>
<li>‘size’: ‘thumbnail’, ‘medium’, ‘large’, ‘full’</li>
<li>‘class’: class of the image tag</li>
<li>‘alt’: alternative text of the image tag</li>
<li>‘title’: title of the image tag</li>
<li>‘cat_id’: select a specific category id</li>
</ul>
Shortcode example:
<pre><code>[cfi_featured_image size="large" title="This is a test..." class="my-image" alt="My image"]
</code></pre>
Function example 1:
<pre><code>cfi_featured_image( array( 'size' => 'large', 'title' => 'This is a test...', 'class' => 'my-image', 'alt' => 'My image' ) );
</code></pre>
Function example 2:
<pre><code>cfi_featured_image_url( array( 'size' => 'large' ) );
</code></pre>
Notes:
<ul>
<li>If a post has more than a category with a featured image the first available is loaded</li>
<li>If a category hasn’t a featured image but it has a parent category with a featured image the parent one is loaded</li>
</ul>

Category Featured Images

This plugin does one thing and it does it well.
It's easy to use, too: install, set up the default category images and forget about it.



Does one thing and does it well

Set a featured image for all the posts of a category.

Pratik Shrestha

Catch Plugins

Sakin Shrestha

dreamsapana

Mahesh Maharjan

Catch Themes

Essential Widgets – a free WordPress plugin for widgets allows you to create and add interesting widgets on your website to make it more attractive and welcoming. Essential Widgets stays true to the essence of its name and offers exactly what you expect from a widgets plugin—all the “essential” widgets for your website. The plugin has been crafted beautifully to draw the extra attention to the important parts of your website. Essential Widgets provides you with the ability to have more control over the widgets with the various customization options. This free WordPress plugin for widgets allows you to create 7 different interesting widgets on your website. All the 7 widgets provided to you comes with so many customization options and are very easy to use. So, with Essential Widgets plugin, customize the interesting widgets your way and display them anywhere you want on your website to make it more dynamic.
<ol>
<li>
EW: Archives 
The Archives widget comes with various customization options. Choose a title, limit the number of posts, select the archive type, post type, order and more with the Archives widget.
</li>
<li>
EW: Authors 
Displaying the author’s information is kind of a must-have feature if your website has multiple authors. Our new WordPress widgets plugin allows you to add Authors widget. With this widget, you can show the list of the authors on your website, the number of posts, select feed type, and more.
</li>
<li>
EW: Categories 
Essential Widgets Pro supports Categories widget. The widget provides you with various customizable options such as the title of the widget, taxonomy option, order option, number of categories to show, display as a list or none, number of posts to display, sort by option, select feed type ton display and display as text or image.
</li>
<li>
EW: Menus 
Bored with the same default menu? Our new WordPress plugin for widgets, Essential Widgets Pro supports Menus widget. With the Menus widget filled with various customization options, you can display your menus elegantly anywhere you want on your website.
</li>
<li>
EW: Pages 
Display a list of pages with the Pages widget. With various customization options being provided to you, you can showcase the pages that are more important on your website wherever you want with Essential Widgets Pro.
</li>
<li>
EW: Posts 
Essential Widgets Pro supports Posts widget. With the widget and its customizable options, you can easily display a list of posts on your website. You can add a title, select the post type, number of items to display, order, sort by, and more.
</li>
<li>
EW: Tags 
And last, but definitely not the least, the Tags widget. You can display a list of tags as cloud or list, select the order of the tags, sort by option and the number of items to be displayed. The widget also provides you with more customization options including the unit, separator, search, text type, and more.
</li>
</ol>
<h3>Translations</h3>
To translate the plugin, use translate.wordpress.org (GlotPress). You only need your WordPress.org account to join the collaborative translation project.
You can translate Essential Widgets on <a href="https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/essential-widgets/" rel="nofollow ugc">translate.wordpress.org</a>.

Essential Widgets

Essential Widgets is a WordPress plugin for widgets that allows you to create and add amazing widgets with high customization option

Category Featured Images vs Essential Widgets