Drupal Theming Fundamentals

Learn the fundamentals to build your own custom themes for Drupal

In this course, beginner Drupal themers will learn the foundational skills needed to create their own themes for Drupal, as well as modify and extend existing themes.

Who is this class for?

This class is for beginning Drupal themers or those without formal training who may have missed some important fundamental concepts. No prior experience with theme development is required, but a basic understanding of HTML and CSS and familiarity with the Drupal CMS are recommended.

What does this course cover?

Students who take this course will be able to:

  • Create new custom themes for Drupal.
  • Override the default HTML from Drupal core and contributed modules to implement specific designs.
  • Add custom CSS and Javascript files to a Drupal theme, and override and remove the built-in Drupal CSS.
  • Use the Twig language to create dynamic templates with conditionals, loops, filters, and functions.
  • Create custom templates to reuse HTML components in multiple places in a design.
  • Write preprocess functions in PHP to customize the content available in templates.

How is it taught?

The course will consist of pre-recorded video lessons and live Q&A sessions with the course instructor. The lesson videos can be watched on-demand, anytime it's convenient. Throughout the course, students will work through a series of hands-on exercises, building a custom theme that demonstrates the concepts covered in each lesson. We will provide an online development environment in which to follow along with the lessons and complete the assignments.

The weekly live sessions will be conducted online using Zoom. During the sessions, the instructor will answer questions about the lessons and will help troubleshoot any issues. In addition to the live sessions, you will have access to an online forum to discuss assignments with other students and ask the instructor questions during the week.

How long is this course?

The estimated time commitment for the course is 6 - 8 hours per week for 2 weeks.

After the course is over, you can continue to access the lesson videos, free of charge, forever. There are no monthly subscription fees. Just come back and watch the lessons whenever you want. They are great when you need a refresher on a topic.

Lessons in This Class

Video Duration
Introduction 00:10:12
Using the DrupalTutor DevStack 00:12:06
Installing Drupal Core 00:15:53
Fixing the Trusted Host Settings Error 00:06:03
Enabling Development Settings in Drupal 00:10:00
Development Tools for Drupal 00:17:58
Running Drush Without the Path 00:06:40
Using the Example Code Repository 00:12:57

Video Duration
Creating Drupal Themes 00:16:27
Adding CSS to Your Theme 00:26:12
Overriding and Customizing Templates 00:41:20
Adding Images to Your Theme 00:10:20
Adding Print Stylesheets 00:04:20
Adding External CSS from CDNs 00:06:53
Adding Javascript to Your Theme 00:16:54
Loading Libraries Dynamically 00:09:37

Video Duration
Rendering Content Variables in Twig 00:39:24
Twig Filters 00:38:10
Variables and Control Structures in Twig 00:49:03
Functions in Twig 00:15:35
Combining and Extending Twig Templates 00:14:28

Video Duration
Understanding Regions and Layout 00:19:53
Overriding Templates from Modules 00:09:01
Theming Views 00:26:10
Using Preprocess Functions 00:12:27
Creating Custom Templates 00:26:06
Overriding and Extending CSS and JS Libraries 00:15:57
Creating a Theme Using a Starter Kit 00:14:20

Video Duration
Class Wrap-Up 00:04:00
$ 248
Per student
  • 8+ hours of video lessons
  • 4 live webinars with your instructor
  • Permanent access to the recordings of all the lessons and live sessions
  • A development environment for your practice Drupal site
  • Access to an online forum to ask questions of the instructor and discuss with other students

When is this class taught?

Class Start Date

You can start this class any time within 6 months of purchase.

Lesson Videos

This course includes detailed step-by-step lesson videos, available on-demand to watch on your own schedule. These videos are yours forever, so you can come back and watch them any time you need a refresher.

Live Webinars

In addition to the lesson videos you will be able to attend 2 weeks of optional live Q&A webinars with your instructor. In these sessions, you can ask questions, get help with troubleshooting issues, or dive deeper into any topics that interest you. Click here for a list of upcoming Q&A webinar times.

Online Development Environment

We will provide you with 3 weeks of access to an online development environment where you can follow along with the lesson videos without installing anything on your computer.