After researching this topic, I have learned that there are two ways of creating a custom WordPress theme:
– writing a custom theme from scratch
– creating a child theme
I have yet to try these methods, but I have found that there are great tutorials that teach both styles. Here are the five best tutorials for customizing WordPress themes.
1.) How To Create a WordPress Theme: The Ultimate WordPress Theme Tutorial
The first tutorial that I found was written by Ian Stewart in 2009. The tutorial walks you through a 12-step process using thorough descriptions and explanations for each step. Stewart, for example, will give you the code for the HTML structure and then explain the various classes for each tag / how they create your desired structure. Rather than just copying and pasting the code into your text editor without really knowing why, you’re given a good explanation for each step throughout this tutorial.
If there’s any drawback to this tutorial, it’s that it was written nearly 7 years ago, so it’s hard to know if all of this code is still valid, considering how fast things change in website design.
2.) How To Create and Customize a WordPress Child Theme
This tutorial begins by saying:
“When trying to make changes to a website, a staggering number of people opt to edit their theme directly. This means that they are changing or adding files in their current theme’s folder, which creates a number of problems.”
The greatest of these problems is that any modification made to the theme via direct edit will be lost once the theme is updated by the developer. If the user is not able to keep their theme up to date, then their security can become at risk.
A better option is to create a child theme, which allows you to make a number of changes to a website without touching the original theme files.
The tutorial goes on to explain more about child themes, such as how they relate to a parent theme and how they have the ability to change its style, function, layout, and template. You can customize a parent theme beyond recognition just by using a parent / child theme relationship.
Another advantage to using child themes is its simplicity – you only need a folder, style sheet, and a functions.php file.
But using a child theme isn’t always the best option. If you only want to change something minor on your website, such as a color or font, it’s probably better to use a CSS plug-in. Child themes are better for large changes like design overhaul and multiple template changes.
Like in the previous article, the author provides you with the code and then give a thorough explanation for each step. However, since this article was written in January 2016, you can rest assured that everything is current and up-to-date.
3.) WordPress Theme Tutorial – Youtube Playlist by LearnWebCode
One of the most important things when looking for a Youtube tutorial is how well the instructor communicates. Since none of the information is written down, poor communication becomes a problem with a video series.
This tutorial by LearnCodeWeb does a good job of providing thorough explanations in plain English. The tutorial currently has 286,882 views and 2212 / 2252 likes (98% likes), and based on the reviews in the comment section, it seems to be doing a good job.
LearnWebCode is said to have “awesome language skill” and is a “gifted teacher.” Obviously there is no guaranteed response for your questions on his tutorial series, but some of the questions have been answered by other users.
4.) WordPress 101: Create a Theme From Scratch – Youtube Playlist by Alessandro Castellani
This tutorial by Alessandro Castellani also has a very high rating with 809/821 likes (99%) and over 65,000 views on the first video in the playlist.
There are 22 videos in total, which cover everything you will need to create a custom WordPress theme. However, you will need to have a basic understanding of HTML, CSS, Javascript, and PHP to begin.
Also, as you may have noticed by his name, Alessandro is from Italy, so his accent can be a bit distracting. But his knowledge is excellent and he has been described as “an amazing teacher” by viewers.
5.) How to Create a Child WordPress Theme
In this article for WPmudev by Daniel Pataki, you are provided with reasoning for child theme usage and a step by step process with explanations.
There are also explanations on child theme mechanics (how child themes actually work), notes/instructions from theme makers, and a bit on modifiable functions.
This is a fairly short article but it’s direct and to the point, and it’s nice to have something directly from a WordPress developer with years of experience.