How to Create a Custom Theme for Your WordPress Blog with Minimal Coding Required

Simpler than the method outlined above is to install a child theme of an existing well coded theme. After installing your blank child theme, your default is the mother theme. You then make all your changes to just two files (style.css, functions.php) in your child theme without touching anything else (and most especially you don't touch files of the mother theme). That way you don't have to worry about various best practices related to typography, css coding, setting up widgets, etc. More importantly, when WordPress updates, the mother theme can get updated by WordPress experts and you can install these updates without breaking your child theme. Specific example: I personally use (now barely maintained) Thematic on my own blog. [wordpress.org] And you can see how different my "FilterJoe" child theme looks after extensive [style.css] (and mild functions.php) changes: [www.filterjoe.com] Thesis Woo Framework Genesis Framework Thematic ThemeHybrid Carrington [website-experts.ca] Related: