The new default WordPress Theme, Twenty Ten, is going places. Blogs that have been using other free Themes have converted to using this theme. Modders too are having a good time changing the looks of the Theme. Those who has the knowledge has created very good looking child Themes for the Twenty Ten WordPress Theme.
What Is A Child Theme
Basically speaking without any technical jargon, a child theme something that overides the looks and feel of the original Theme. This means a child Theme has to rely on the original Theme to function. Though it is physically separated from one another, when the child Theme is activated, it has to pull the core template codes from the original to make it work. Thus, to use a child theme, you need to have the original installed in your WordPress Themes folder.
It can be said that using a child theme is the perfect way to customize your WordPress Theme, reason being, you do not risk screwing up the Theme’s core files. Free premium WordPress themes like the Hybrid Theme supports child themes so well that it has become a framework by itself.
Twenty Ten Child Themes
The Twenty Ten WordPress Theme is also created with child themes in mind and serious Theme hobbyist has taken to initiative to develop rather good looking child themes for the Twenty Ten. A good example of what can be done is exhibited at this three column child theme dubbed Thirty Ten which you can download for free. You even have the option to change locations of your sidebar.
Taking things even further is yet another child theme called Twenty Ten Weaver. This child theme in itself has another 16 sub themes for you to choose from. It is like grandchild themes for the Twenty Ten.
Not only that, there are, included with the child theme, a few option pages for you to change the look and code settings of the grandchild theme that you are using. You even get a real time screenshot of how your theme will look after the change. Alterations can be made immediately if you are not happy with your masterpiece.
In the Advanced Options, you can add snippets of codes into your header, your footer and a couple of other widely used locations like the before </body> without actually having to open up the actual php files.
When after you have had your fun changing things around, you can actually store your ‘privatized’ theme so that you can restore the Theme if you decide to be adventurous a bit and change to a different Theme.
I must say that or a child Theme, the Weaver theme is very impressive and has become a mini framework of it’s own. And remember, it is free. And it never gets out dated for the Twenty Ten theme’s core files will always be part of any WordPress updates.
Thanks for this, really useful. I wanted to install the Thesis theme today, but their site has been hacked, so I installed Twenty Ten instead. It’s kinda lame, so this will give me the option to tweak it with a child theme. Cheers!
Thanks for directing me to Twenty Ten Weaver – had great fun experimenting with it’s options.