Create your own desktop icons in Ubuntu

Right click on desktop > create launcher > launcher

now on the command bit , type the command as if from terminal.
eg. to make a firefox icon it would be command " firefox "

now the icon

click on the little spring to the left of he window ( where the launcher field is ). Then you need to find the image of the program. You can search for this in the files , however im lazy i just Google the name of the program under images and save the image to the launcher.