Latest SeedProd News

WordPress Tutorials, Tips, and Resources to Help Grow Your Business

How to Create a Custom WordPress Theme Without Code

How to Create a Custom WordPress Theme from Scratch in 2025 

Written By: author avatar Stacey Corrin
author avatar Stacey Corrin
Stacey has been writing about WordPress and digital marketing for over 10 years and on other topics for much longer. Alongside this, she's fascinated with web design, user experience, and SEO.
     Reviewed By: reviewer avatar Turner John
reviewer avatar Turner John
John Turner is the co-founder of SeedProd. He has over 20+ years of business and development experience and his plugins have been downloaded over 25 million times.

When I built my first WordPress website, I used a premade theme because it seemed like the easiest way to get started. But it didn’t take long before I ran into limits. I couldn’t change the layout the way I wanted, the colors didn’t match my brand, and every tweak felt like a fight.

That’s when I decided to create a custom WordPress theme from scratch, something designed specifically for my business, not just a generic template.

In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how to build your own WordPress theme without coding using a drag-and-drop WordPress theme builder. You don’t need to hire a developer or learn HTML. With SeedProd, a powerful no-code WordPress theme builder, you can create a custom design that looks and works exactly how you want.

The Easiest Way to Build a Custom WordPress Theme:

What Is a WordPress Theme, Really?
A WordPress theme is the main design style for your entire website. It tells WordPress how to organize and display all your content when someone visits your site. This includes your text, images, and videos, making sure it’s easy to read and looks good on different devices like phones and computers.
What pages make up a WordPress website?
A WordPress website usually has a Home page (main page), About page (info about you or your business), Services or Products page, Blog (articles or news), and a Contact page (ways to reach you). Some sites also have a FAQ or Portfolio page.

Why Build a Custom WordPress Theme (Instead of Using a Premade One)?

When I first started out, I assumed a premade WordPress theme would be good enough. But most of the time, they’re built to work for everyone, not just for you.

Here’s why I recommend building a custom WordPress theme instead:

  • It matches your brand perfectly. You control the layout, colors, fonts, and every little detail—so it actually looks like your site, not someone else’s.
  • It’s easier to use than you’d think. With a drag-and-drop theme builder like SeedProd, you don’t need to touch code or hire a designer.
  • It loads faster. Many premade themes are bloated with features you’ll never use. A custom theme is cleaner and faster out of the box.
  • You get full control. No more forcing a template to do what you want. You can structure your site the way it makes sense for your visitors.

If you’re tired of settling for “close enough,” building your own theme might be exactly what you need.

That all sounded great in theory… but I still had one big problem:
I had no idea how to actually build a custom WordPress theme without writing code.

At first, I thought I’d need to hire a developer or learn how to code it myself, which felt completely overwhelming. But then I found SeedProd, and everything changed.

SeedProd Drag and Drop WordPress website builder

SeedProd is a WordPress custom theme builder that lets you visually create themes for your website, no coding needed. It works like a drag and drop WordPress theme builder, so you can customize everything without touching your theme files.

You can choose from pre-designed templates and then easily customize everything, colors, fonts, layouts, you name it.

With this in mind, I decided to use SeedProd to build and customize a WordPress theme for my personal website. I even documented it in this step-by-step guide, so you can learn how to create a custom WordPress theme yourself.

Prepping for a Custom WordPress Theme Design

Before creating a WordPress theme with SeedProd, you’ll want to make sure you have a safety net. If you already have an existing website with content you want to keep, you should make a backup of your WordPress installation, just in case.

To avoid any theme development mishaps on your live site, you should also create a staging site. This gives you a separate, private environment to experiment with SeedProd and build out your theme without affecting your live website.

Important Note: If you don’t already have one, you’ll need to create a website before using SeedProd. Here’s a guide on how to create a WordPress website for beginners to get you started.

How to Build A Custom WordPress Theme from Scratch

Remember how I said I didn’t know how to code? Well, that wasn’t a problem at all. SeedProd made it incredibly easy to build a custom theme, step by visual step. Here’s how I did it.

Step 1. Install SeedProd and Choose a Template

First, get yourself the SeedProd Pro plan. It provides all the features you need (including the theme builder) at an affordable price.

Find your SeedProd license key

Once you have your license key, go to your staging site and install the plugin. Installing SeedProd is as simple as uploading the plugin file and clicking “Activate.”

Activate the SeedProd plugin

With the plugin active, go to the SeedProd menu in your WordPress dashboard and click on “Theme Builder.” Then, click the “Theme Template Kits” button to choose your starter theme.

SeedProd theme template kits

SeedProd has so many professionally designed block theme templates that I have to admit; even I was a little spoiled for choice.

You can filter them by “All”, or “WooCommerce” and sort them by popular, new, and even begin with a starter theme. Scroll through the template kits until you find a design that best fits the look or industry you’re going for.

Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect. You can customize every inch of it in the next step.

SeedProd theme template kit chooser

I finally settled on the Elite Consulting Business Theme. Its clean, modern look matched perfectly the vibe I was going for.

To import your theme file, hover your mouse cursor over the theme kit and click the checkmark icon.

Import SeedProd template kit

Click here to preview the template I selected for this design so you can compare it to the customized version.

After choosing a kit, you can see all the individual templates that make up the components of a WordPress theme. Mine included a homepage, header, footer, blog page, and sidebar for instance.

SeedProd theme parts

It also had custom templates for distinct theme sections, such as an awards section, a services page, a pricing table, a custom page template for products, and more.

Chances are you may not need all of these for your site. So, focus on what you need and delete the templates you don’t want by clicking “Trash.”

If you’re not comfortable with this, you can always turn off the “Published” toggle so that the template doesn’t appear on your website.

Unpublish a theme template in SeedProd

With your theme’s basic building blocks in place, you can start editing each theme section. For my site, I began with the header and footer sections.

To edit any theme section, you just need to hover over it and click the Edit Design link.

edit your SeedProd header template

When you edit a theme section in SeedProd, you’ll go to its visual drag-and-drop builder. On this screen, you can customize your theme’s header by simply pointing and clicking.

The original header template had a three-column layout, which was a bit too busy for my taste. In this case, you can simply delete it and drag in a two-column layout block from the left-hand panel.

Adding a new column to WordPress theme header

Adding a logo is also a breeze with the Image block – just select it from your media library and use the point-and-click controls to adjust its size and placement.

Adding a custom logo to you WordPress theme header

For the navigation menu, you can use SeedProd’s Nav Menu block and choose the “Simple Menu” setting. This allows you to easily create the exact menu structure you have in mind.

Adding a custom navigation menu to your custom WordPress theme

Once you’re happy with your header, go ahead and save your changes. Then, head back to the theme builder, and open the Footer template to customize the footer section.

Edit the WordPress theme footer template

The original footer in my template had a bit more information than I needed, so I simplified it by deleting unnecessary blocks.

Editing the WordPress theme footer template in SeedProd
Example of the original footer template

I kept the company info and social media menu items but centered them for a more balanced look. Then, I just swapped out the placeholder content with my own.

Customized WordPress footer
Customized WordPress footer template

Make similar changes to your footer template to achieve the look you want for your custom theme.

Once your header and footer look sleek and stylish, it’s time to tackle the heart of your website: the homepage. Remember, you can find your template files under SeedProd » Theme Builder.

Edit WordPress homepage template

Step 3. Create a Custom WordPress Home Page

Your main goal when customizing the homepage is likely to create a strong first impression, show your expertise, and provide potential clients or customers with compelling reasons to choose you or your business.

Personally, I liked the overall layout of the Elite Consulting Business theme’s homepage, but I wanted to simplify it further and add my personal touch.

Customizing the WordPress theme homepage template
Example of the original WordPress homepage template design

I kept the hero section at the top, as it’s a great way to make a bold statement. I simply swapped out the default image for one that better reflected my brand, and updated the heading and description.

Customized WordPress theme homepage template
Example of how I customized the homepage for my WordPress theme

Likewise, I also tweaked the CTA button styling. You can do this by clicking on the block’s advanced settings. It provides you with access to a color picker, where you can select a new background color and round the button’s corners for a softer look.

Beneath the hero section, I added a five-column section using Image blocks to showcase the logos of brands I’ve worked with.

You can use this approach to build credibility and demonstrate your experience.

Custom client logo section

The original design included Counter blocks, which I loved, so I kept them but updated the statistics to reflect my own achievements and milestones.

Custom WordPress theme number counters

If you want to add social proof to your site, you can create a new section using SeedProd’s Testimonial block. This block allows you to create an eye-catching carousel slider displaying client testimonials, complete with their headshots.

Custom WordPress theme testimonials section

Finally, to highlight my writing skills, I built another new section with multiple columns. Each column contained an Image block (displaying a thumbnail of a published article) and a Heading block linked to the full article on external websites.

Custom WordPress theme portfolio section.

Alternatively, you can use the Gallery and Advanced Gallery blocks to display your portfolio.

With a few clicks and drags, your homepage will start to look exactly how want it.

Step 4. Create Blog Page & Single Post Templates

Okay, so I didn’t actually need this step because I wasn’t planning on having a blog on my website. But I know many of you will want to share your thoughts and expertise with the world, so here’s a quick rundown of how SeedProd makes it easy to create stunning blog pages and single post templates.

Blog Page Template

Your blog page template can be found in the theme templates list under “Blog Index, Archives, Search” or, in my case, “Blog Page.” Like the previous custom page template, you can customize it by clicking the “Edit Design” link.

Customize WordPress theme blog page template

Here, you can customize how your blog posts are displayed – you can choose to show featured images, excerpts, author information, and more.

Customizing the blog page template on your custom WordPress theme

You can also add elements like a search bar, social media sharing buttons, or even a call to action to encourage visitors to explore further.

Single Post Template

Just like the blog custom page template, you can edit and customize the single blog post template.

edit single post template WordPress

For a consistent look, SeedProd lets you style the display of elements like the post title, featured image, meta description, and even the author bio.

These are called template tags on WordPress. They automatically pull data from your site without you having to manually create them.

Customizing WordPress theme single post template

For example, with the Featured Image template tags, you can automatically display featured images on your single blog page.

Step 5. Create an About Page

After the homepage, the About page is arguably the most important part of any personal website. It’s where potential clients and collaborators get to know the person behind the services. I wanted mine to feel authentic and engaging and give a clear picture of who I am and what I offer.

The Elite Consulting Business theme already included a basic custom WordPress page template for an about page, which I could access by going to Pages » All Pages in my WordPress dashboard and clicking “Edit with SeedProd.”

Edit about page with SeedProd

I decided to keep the first two sections of the original design, which focused on my work experience and the services I provide. I just swapped out the placeholder content and images for my own.

Customizing the WordPress theme about page

Next, I wanted to showcase my certifications to build credibility. This is where SeedProd’s Template Parts came in handy.

Think of template parts as pre-made sections that you can insert and reuse across different pages of your website – a huge time-saver. The theme came with a template part called “Awards and Recognition.”

Custom WordPress theme template part

I simply edited this template to include my certifications, then easily inserted it into my “About” page.

Customized WordPress theme template part
Example of how I customized the custom template part

To wrap it up, I created a final section with a more personal touch. I shared some of my hobbies, where I live, and other tidbits that would help visitors connect with me on a more personal level.

Custom WordPress theme about page section

Step 6. Set Up A Contact Page

The last thing I wanted was a cluttered and confusing contact page. While the Elite Consulting Business theme came with a pre-built contact page, it felt a bit overwhelming.

WordPress theme contact page design
The original contact page design

I decided to simplify things drastically. I deleted most of the default content and replaced it with SeedProd’s Contact Form block. This block makes it super easy to integrate with WPForms, one of the most popular WordPress form builder plugins.

WordPress contact page with contact form
My redesigned contact page with a custom contact form

Quick note: WPForms doesn’t come bundled with SeedProd, but you can download the free version of WPForms from the WordPress plugin directory – it has everything you need for a basic contact form.

With WPForms installed, you can create a contact form directly within SeedProd – no need to fiddle with complicated settings or shortcodes.

I did notice that the form’s styling looked a bit off in the page builder preview. However, once I published the page, the form magically snapped into place, looking perfectly uniform and professional.

Step 7. Adjust Global Theme Settings

My website was really starting to come together. Now, it was time to add those final touches that would make it look super polished and professional. Enter SeedProd’s global settings.

The Global CSS template is in the theme templates list—just click “Edit Design” to open it. This is your command center for controlling the overall look and feel of your website.

Global CSS template

Colors

First, you’ll want to ensure color consistency across every page. SeedProd makes this easy by letting you define global colors for everything from headers and text to buttons, links, and backgrounds.

Custom WordPress theme colors

Fonts & Typography

While I liked the default font of the Elite Consulting Business theme, I wanted to tweak the font weights and colors for headings and links to better match my brand aesthetic.

Custom WordPress theme fonts

Background

To keep things consistent, I changed the overall page background color. SeedProd even lets you add a background image here if you want to get fancy.

Buttons

Buttons are crucial for calls to action, so make sure they stand out. Played around with different font styles, colors, and border radius until you find a look that feels right.

Custom WordPress theme button settings

Custom CSS

SeedProd even gives you the option to add your own Custom CSS. This is where things get a tiny bit technical, but it gives you even more control over your design.

WordPress theme custom css options

For example, I used a snippet of custom CSS to make the WPForms form submit button match the styling of my other buttons.

Step 8. Publish the Custom WordPress Theme

After putting so much care into designing your custom WordPress theme, don’t skip the final checks. Use the built-in preview feature to double-check how everything looks on different screen sizes – from desktops to tablets to smartphones.

Preview custom WordPress theme on mobile

You’ll want to make sure your theme looks fantastic, no matter how people were viewing it.

Of course, you should also test your interactive elements. Submitted a test message through your contact form (and do a little victory dance when it lands in your inbox! 🎉)

Testing custom WordPress theme features

I clicked every button and menu link, just to be certain they led to the right places.

Finally, the moment of truth. Head back to the SeedProd Theme Builder, take a deep breath, and find the “Enable SeedProd Theme” toggle in the top-right corner. With one satisfying click, switch it to the “on” position.

Enable your custom WordPress theme

Your custom WordPress theme is LIVE! You can now visit your site and see it in action.

Custom WordPress theme design.

More Ways to Build a Custom Theme

Now, I understand that not everyone reading this guide will want to follow my process for creating custom templates and themes. With this in mind, I’ve researched a few other ways to build a professional website design.

MethodDifficultyCoding?Best For
Traditional CodingAdvancedYes (PHP, HTML, CSS, JS)Developers, agencies
Underscores (_s)IntermediateYes (PHP, CSS)Developers learning theme development
Child ThemesBeginner/IntermediateSome CSSWordPress enthusiasts
Block ThemesIntermediateNoModern WordPress users

After trying different methods, I still think SeedProd is the best choice for most people. Why? It’s simply easier.

You don’t need to learn code, you can build a professional-looking site in hours, and you won’t get stuck dealing with technical problems. If you’re busy running your business or creating content, SeedProd lets you build exactly what you want without the headaches of traditional WordPress development.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I create a custom WordPress theme without any coding experience?
Yes, you can make a custom WordPress theme without coding by using tools like SeedProd. These tools let you drag and drop to design your site’s look, so you can choose layouts, colors, and fonts without needing to write code.
How do I export the custom theme I created with SeedProd?
You can export your WordPress theme as a .zip file using SeedProd’s import/export feature. Follow this guide to learn how to export WordPress theme template files with SeedProd and install them on a different WordPress installation.
What’s the best WordPress theme builder plugin for beginners?
If you want to create a custom WordPress theme without coding, SeedProd is my top pick. It’s a powerful yet beginner-friendly plugin that works as a full WordPress theme builder. You can drag and drop your layout, style it visually, and publish your design with no developer needed.

Create a Custom Theme for Any WordPress Website

If you want to make a specific type of website, you may like these WordPress theme tutorials:

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please feel free to leave a comment with any questions and feedback.

You can also follow us on YouTubeX (formerly Twitter), and Facebook for more helpful content to grow your business.

author avatar
Stacey Corrin Writer
Stacey has been writing about WordPress and digital marketing for over 10 years and on other topics for much longer. Alongside this, she's fascinated with web design, user experience, and SEO.

Disclosure: Our content is reader-supported. This means if you click on some of our links, then we may earn a commission. We only recommend products that we believe will add value to our readers.