I delete the Downloads folder from my home folder. When I create a new folder there called "Downloads", it doesn't have the proper icon, and it doesn't show up in the places sidebar.
I tried adding Downloads to ~/.config/user-dirs.dirs (specifically, adding the line XDG_DOWNLOADS_DIR="$HOME/Downloads/"), but this didn't do anything it seems.
How can I get my regular Downloads folder back?
The entry in ~/.config/user-dirs.dirs should be XDG_DOWNLOAD_DIR="$HOME/Downloads", not XDG_DOWNLOADS.... The folder should get recreated on logout/login.
Take a look at the answers of this question: Change the default Downloads directory of which I reproduce here my own answer in the hope that you wish to check this and inform if it did the trick for you. I am not sure if this will work as I have never done what you did but it's worth to try.
Ubuntu Tweak can be useful for you this time, but includes the install of the Ubuntu Tweak software, whose intuitive GUI will guide you on this and some other useful processes.
When installed, simply choose Ubuntu Tweak from within the System Tools sub-menu in the main menu. After which you can go to the "Personal" section in the sidebar and look inside "Default folders", where you can choose which will be your default folder for Downloads, Documents, Desktop, etc.
I hope this help you.
Good luck!
