Setup a Django Project (1.4 or later)

Create your virtualenv, install stuff.

mkvirtualenv new_project
pip install django
pip install south          # db migration manager for django

Start up a django project.

mkdir new_project
cd ./new_project
django-admin.py startproject new_project

Start project will generate the following:

new_project/
    new_project/
        new_project/        # project-level items
        new_app/            
            __init__.py
            models.py
            tests.py
            views.py
        manage.py

Setup local_settings.py for environment-specific settings (e.g. DB info, dev apps, etc...). Anything you place in local_settings.py will only run locally.

Add the following to the bottom of settings.py

try:
    LOCAL_SETTINGS
except NameError:
    try:
        from local_settings import *
    except ImportError:
        pass

Create a local_settings.py file in the same directory as settings.py starting with the lines below. All dev specific go here.

LOCAL_SETTINGS = True
from settings import *
DEBUG = True

Setup your databases.

Copy DATABASES from settings.py into local_settings.py and enter the information.

DATABASES = {
    'default': {
        ...
    }
}

Add south to INSTALLED_APPS in settings.py

INSTALLED_APPS = (
    ...
    'south',
)

Perform a syncdb to create all of your initial datbaase tables.

python ./manage.py syncdb

Run the development server to make sure everyone's happy

python ./manage.py runserver

You should see a Django generated 404 error.

Create a requirements.txt for project dependencies.

pip freeze > requirements.txt

Start creating apps!

python ./manage.py startapp my_app

Your project folder will now look as follows

new_project/
    new_project/
        new_project/        # project-level items
        new_app/            
            __init__.py
            models.py
            tests.py
            views.py
        manage.py

Add your app to INSTALLED_APPS in settings.py

INSTALLED_APPS = (
    ...
    'south',
    'my_app',
)

Create and run a migration for your new app.

python ./manage.py schemamigration --initial new_app
python ./manage.py migrate new_app