Creating a Child Theme

I’ve downloaded, installed and activated the Follet theme on a website (currently the test URL is jessicawhitmore.dreamhosters.com). I’m trying to change it using a child theme. I started out by editing the theme files of footer, header, and page. I got it looking like I want to. However, to ensure that the changes are maintained with any updates to the theme, I need to move those files to a child theme. However, when I create and activate a child theme…even with just a CSS file…it removes the top navigation menu and moves the sidebar (which should be on the side) to the bottom. Same thing happens when I try copying the revised files to the child theme directory. My first inkling is that it has to do with the calls to the files in the template directory from the header and footer pages. However, when I copy those files to a template directory in the child-theme directory, the same thing happens. I also tried changing the links in those files to “../follet/template/”… with the same results. Any help you could provide in following recommended practices in creating these changes as part of a child theme rather than just staying with the edited main theme files? Thanks.