diff --git a/skeleton/core.py b/skeleton/core.py
index 7189dfb..8622885 100644
--- a/skeleton/core.py
+++ b/skeleton/core.py
@@ -12,13 +12,10 @@
 import sys
 import weakref
 
-from skeleton.utils import (
-    get_loggger, get_file_mode, vars_to_optparser, prompt)
-
+from skeleton.utils import (get_loggger, get_file_mode, vars_to_optparser, prompt, ignored)
 
 _LOG = get_loggger(__name__)
 
-
 class SkeletonError(Exception):
     """Root exception"""
 
@@ -244,7 +241,7 @@ def get_missing_variables(self):
                 _LOG.debug("Variable %r already set", var.name)
 
     @run_requirements_first
-    def write(self, dst_dir, run_dry=False):
+    def write(self, dst_dir, run_dry=False, ignore=None):
         """Apply skeleton to `dst_dir`.
 
         Copy files and folders from the `src` folder to the `dst_dir`.
@@ -283,10 +280,14 @@ def write(self, dst_dir, run_dry=False):
 
         for dir_path, dir_names, file_names in os.walk(real_src):
             rel_dir_path = dir_path[real_src_len:].lstrip(r'\/')
+            # apply template formatting to directories
+            rel_dir_path = self._format_file_name(rel_dir_path, dir_path)
 
             #copy files
             for file_name in file_names:
                 src = os.path.join(dir_path, file_name)
+                if ignored(src,ignore):
+                    continue
                 dst = os.path.join(
                     dst_dir,
                     rel_dir_path,
@@ -297,13 +298,15 @@ def write(self, dst_dir, run_dry=False):
             #copy directories
             for dir_name in dir_names:
                 src = os.path.join(dir_path, dir_name)
+                if ignored(src,ignore):
+                    continue
                 dst = os.path.join(
                     dst_dir,
                     rel_dir_path,
                     self.template_formatter(dir_name))
                 self._mkdir(dst, like=src)
 
-    def run(self, dst_dir, run_dry=False):
+    def run(self, dst_dir, run_dry=False, ignore=None):
         """Like write() but prompt user for missing variables.
 
         Raises:
@@ -314,7 +317,7 @@ def run(self, dst_dir, run_dry=False):
           files and folder.
         """
         self.get_missing_variables()
-        self.write(dst_dir, run_dry=run_dry)
+        self.write(dst_dir, run_dry=run_dry, ignore=ignore)
 
     @classmethod
     def cmd(cls, argv=None, **kw):
diff --git a/skeleton/utils.py b/skeleton/utils.py
index 959a5d2..e554684 100644
--- a/skeleton/utils.py
+++ b/skeleton/utils.py
@@ -132,3 +132,18 @@ def prompt(prompt_):
         return result.decode(sys.stdin.encoding)
     except AttributeError:
         return result
+
+
+def ignored(path,ignore):
+    """
+    return true if one of the string in ignore is found in the path
+    """
+    ignored = False
+
+    if ignore is not None:
+        for s in ignore:
+            if s in path:
+                ignored = True
+
+    return ignored
+