Welcome to the Treehouse Community

Want to collaborate on code errors? Have bugs you need feedback on? Looking for an extra set of eyes on your latest project? Get support with fellow developers, designers, and programmers of all backgrounds and skill levels here with the Treehouse Community! While you're at it, check out some resources Treehouse students have shared here.

Looking to learn something new?

Treehouse offers a seven day free trial for new students. Get access to thousands of hours of content and join thousands of Treehouse students and alumni in the community today.

Start your free trial

WordPress How to Make a Website with WordPress Customizing WordPress Themes How to Make Child Themes

Flo Tubes
Flo Tubes
5,110 Points

Creation of Child themes by just duplicating and renaming the theme folder

I have a little question. Why can you just copy a theme folder rename it and just edit all the files inside if for your own use. It would get rid of for example importing the styles from the parent theme.

1 Answer

Simon Duchaine
Simon Duchaine
14,441 Points

Hi there!

You need to see the creation of a Child Theme as a way to benefits of all the features an existing theme as to offer but change the look and feel of the theme or only some feature. This way, when the theme developper update the theme, you don't lose any change in the style or any features you've added.

In fact, what you're explaining in your question would be as if your developping your own theme... and that would be another way to do it. Some theme developper doesn't start from scratch and actually copy the default theme folder (twenty theme), rename it, and modify the theme to their liking.