Have you ever found an awesome GitHub project that you wanted to explore, improve, or make your own version of?
That happened to me recently. I cloned someone’s repository into my VS Code setup, made some cool changes…
and then realized — “Wait! If I push this, it’ll affect their repo!” 😅
So I needed a clean way to keep all my changes in my own GitHub repository without messing up the original one.
If you’ve ever been there — don’t worry. Follow these simple steps, and you’ll have your own version up and running in no time 🚀
🧭 Step 1: Clone the Repository
First, clone the original repository you liked:
git clone https://github.com/originaluser/their-repo.git
Open it in VS Code:
cd their-repo
code .
Now you can explore the project, modify it, and make it truly yours!
🧹 Step 2: Disconnect from the Original Repo
By default, your cloned folder is still linked to the original repo (called origin).
Let’s break that link:
git remote remove origin
To confirm it’s gone:
git remote -v
It should show nothing — that means your local copy is now independent.
🧱 Step 3: Create Your Own Repo on GitHub
Go to 👉 https://github.com/new
You’ll now see instructions like this:
git remote add origin https://github.com/yourusername/myproject.git
git branch -M main
git push -u origin main
We’ll use those next.
🔗 Step 4: Connect to Your New Repo
Back in VS Code terminal:
git remote add origin https://github.com/yourusername/myproject.git
git branch -M main
Now your local folder is linked to your own GitHub repository.
🚀 Step 5: Push the Code to Your Repo
If you try to push and see this:
remote: Invalid username or token.
fatal: Authentication failed
Don’t worry — GitHub now uses Personal Access Tokens (PATs) instead of passwords.
Go to
👉 https://github.com/settings/tokens
Create a new token with:
Then push:
git push -u origin main
✅ Done! You now have your own independent copy of the project on GitHub.
🧭 Bonus Tip: Keep the Original Repo as “Upstream” (Optional)
If you want to occasionally pull updates from the original project:
git remote add upstream https://github.com/originaluser/their-repo.git
git fetch upstream
git merge upstream/main
That way, you stay up to date without losing your changes.
🎉 That’s It!
And that’s how I took someone’s repo, learned from it, customized it, and made it mine — safely and cleanly.
Whether you’re experimenting, learning, or building something new, this small workflow makes a big difference.
So go ahead — explore, clone, create, and share your own version with the world 🌍💡
💬 What’s next?
You can now:
Update your README.md with your own name and purpose
Add a license if it’s your new project
Continue committing and pushing your updates confidently
