21 DIY Ugly Sweaters & How to Make Your Own
DIY ugly sweaters are a fun way to turn a plain or old sweater into something festive. With a few decorations and some basic craft supplies, you can make your design as simple, colorful, or over-the-top as you like. Here you’ll find 21 DIY ugly sweater ideas for adults and kids, plus tips for planning your design and attaching decorations with glue or sewing.
DIY Ugly Sweaters (Quick Guide)
Making your own ugly Christmas sweater involves the following steps:
- Choose an old or inexpensive sweater.
- Pick a theme or color scheme.
- Gather your Christmas decorations.
- Arrange the decorations on the sweater.
- Glue or sew each decoration in place.
- Allow any glue to dry completely.
- Try on your finished ugly sweater.
What Are DIY Ugly Sweaters?
DIY ugly sweaters are homemade versions of the colorful, deliberately over-the-top Christmas sweaters often worn to holiday parties and ugly sweater contests. Instead of buying one ready-made, you decorate an existing sweater with festive embellishments such as tinsel, pom-poms, felt, bows, ornaments, and Christmas appliqués.
They can be made with sewing or as a no-sew Christmas craft using glue, depending on the decorations you choose. DIY versions are suitable for adults and kids and are particularly useful when you want to customize a sweater around a specific Christmas theme. Making your own also gives you control over how simple or elaborate the finished sweater is. You can use decorations you already have at home or go all out with lights, bells, and dimensional embellishments.
How to Make an Ugly Sweater
Supplies for Making Ugly Sweaters
What is needed to make an Ugly Christmas Sweater?
- Sweater: Use an old sweater or an inexpensive one as the base for your project. A plain sweater gives you plenty of room for decorations, but almost any color or style can work.
- Decorations: Raid your decoration box for tinsel, glitter, felt, ornaments, bobbles, ric-rac, or other lightweight Christmas decorations to create your design. Leftover decorations from other holiday crafts are perfect for this as well.
- Glue or sewing supplies: Hot glue is a quick option for attaching lightweight decorations, while hand or machine sewing gives heavier embellishments a more secure hold.
- Basic craft supplies: Scissors, pins, thread, embroidery floss, wool, and an iron may be useful depending on the decorations and attachment method you choose.
Themes for DIY Ugly Sweaters
You may like to have a theme for your sweater, like Christmas angels, reindeer and Santa, cute little gnomes, or a gingerbread house. You can applique Christmas images using felt or fabric onto the front of the sweater. You may also add names and writing to welcome the season to be jolly.
How to Make DIY Ugly Sweaters Step by Step
1. Plan Your Ugly Sweater Design
Before you start sewing or gluing, lay out your items on the sweater to see how they will look. Go overboard as that is the whole point.
TIP: Once you lay out all your decorations, take a quick photo so you can refer to it while you work.
2. Attach the Decorations
- Glue: For a once-off occasion, a hot glue gun is a great way to fix objects onto a sweater. Simply apply glue to the item and hold it in place for a few seconds to allow it to cool down.
- Sewing: If you want to wash and keep the sweater, then you will need to stitch the ornaments and decorations onto the sweater with thread. The easiest hand stitch to is a running stitch; even first-time sewers should be able to master this. Heavier glued on decorations may need a few additional stitches to hold them in place.
TIP: Avoid placing large or bulky decorations directly under the arms to make the finished sweater much more comfortable to wear.
3. Let It Dry and Try It On
Once the glue is completely dry, try on your DIY ugly sweater.
TIP: Before wearing your sweater to a party, move your arms around and sit down while wearing it to spot loose decorations or embellishments that restrict movement.
Washing Your DIY Ugly Sweater: Make sure any lights or items with batteries or electrical components are removed before washing. Some glues may not hold up to washing either.
DIY Ugly Sweater Ideas
These DIY ugly sweaters show just how creative you can get with a few Christmas decorations and a basic sweater. Browse the designs below for inspiration, whether you want something quick and simple, ridiculously over-the-top, or clever enough to stand out at an ugly sweater party.
Tropical DIY Ugly Christmas Sweater
If the dropping temperatures have you freezing and wishing you were celebrating somewhere warmer, then this pattern will hit home. Make and wear this ugly Christmas sweater and make-believe that you are celebrating on a tropical island. You can even make a bunch and host a tropical island-themed Christmas party.
DIY Ugly Sweaters From Aww Sam
DIY Christmas Ugly Sweater with Lights
With this, you will be crocheting Christmas lights onto your sweater and walking around as a festive lamp post. Make sure to walk past your special someone. Who knows, they might just tell you that you ‘light up their world’. Now that sounds like some motivation to get into action and make this fast.
DIY Ugly Sweaters From Studio DIY
DIY Ugly Sweaters for Your Squad
Obsessed with playful and ‘candid’ photoshoots? Then this picture might have you already inspired to recreate it. The idea behind this project is to host a party for making DIY ugly sweaters and end it off with a photo shoot. You can put together a bunch of random supplies, get some bright but old sweaters out and craft some ugliness.
DIY Ugly Sweater Idea From Jenny Cookies
Tinsel DIY Ugly Sweater
It doesn’t get any tackier and gaudier than this. You take an older cardigan and cover it in tinsel and other festive yet gaudy décor. Once done, steal the show at your DIY ugly sweater Christmas party. If ugly is the keyword on the memo, all the thunder shall be stolen with this.
DIY Ugly Sweaters From Biglots
Snow Globe Ugly Christmas Sweater
Here is an ugly sweater pattern that even a younger one can help you with. You don’t even need a needle and thread to put it together. But you will be needing pom poms to make the globe look like snow is escaping from it.
DIY Ugly Sweaters by The Craft Patch
Children’s DIY Christmas Ugly Sweater
I’m having a hard time calling this an ugly sweater. It’s fun and so quirky, and the kind of sweater that you must sport at least one Christmas. This sweater is really easy to make, and you will only need supplies that you might already have with you at this time of the year.
DIY Ugly Sweaters From Amy Latta Creations
Ugly Christmas Tree Sweater
Here’s another quirky idea for an ugly DIY Christmas sweater that will turn heads and make people gasp. Wearing this sweater, you will be carrying the Christmas spirit everywhere with you. If you like this for yourself, then starting now, don’t throw away any scraps and leftover holiday décor bits—everything is going on into this sweater.
DIY Ugly Sweaters From xoxo jackie
Light Up Ugly Christmas Sweater
The DIY Light Up Ugly Christmas Sweater is bound to get you the award for the ugliest sweater at the party. Accept the tacky crown with the biggest of grins—that’s the whole point of this fun craft, isn’t it? Maybe add some leftover stuff to your footwear and take the gaudiness to a whole new level!
DIY Ugly Sweaters by The Samantha Show
Ugly Sweater Ornaments
Ugly Christmas sweater parties have become quite the rage over the years. Hence, don’t shy away from the décor if you’re planning on hosting one. When you’re done making ugly sweaters for yourself and the crew, you can use the leftovers to make some ugly sweater ornaments that would be the perfect décor for your party.
DIY Ugly Sweaters From Crafts by Amanda
Easy Reindeer Couples Ugly Sweater
Do you and your significant other enjoy wearing couples’ merchandise or do you make fun of those who do? Either way, this would be a fun ugly sweater idea to make and flaunt with your sweetheart. One of you will get to be the head while the other gets to be the rear. If you’re the one making it, we know who gets to be what.
DIY Ugly Sweaters From Instructables
The Applique-Laden Monster Sweater
Here is a somewhat girly take on ugly sweaters: an applique-laden monster sweater. Apart from the cute little monster at the front, you can pretty much applique any and every bit of holiday décor scrap onto this. This could be all that you’ve been looking for in an ugly sweater.
DIY Ugly Sweaters From Sweater Image
‘Ya Filthy Animal’ Ugly Sweater
How many Christmases of the past have you spent watching reruns of Home Alone? Then you might have read the line on this sweater just the way it was said. You can greet everyone at a party simply by pointing at your sweater. It will be such a great icebreaker, and we all know you need those at this time of the year.
DIY Ugly Sweaters From Sadie & Stella
Easy DIY Ugly Sweater
Can you believe that construction paper was used to make this DIY Christmas sweater? This is a great idea if you just need a temporary project that is fast to make.
DIY Ugly Sweater From Diana Rambles
More DIY Christmas Sweater Ideas
Common DIY Ugly Sweater Mistakes
Even an intentionally ugly sweater needs to stay together long enough to wear it! Here are a few common mistakes to avoid when making yours:
- Adding too much weight: Too many heavy ornaments can stretch the sweater and cause the decorations to sag.
- Attaching decorations before planning: Arrange everything first so you can adjust the spacing and overall design before committing.
- Using glue for heavy decorations: Glue works well for many lightweight embellishments, but heavier pieces may need stitching for extra support.
- Ignoring comfort: Bulky decorations around the underarms, neckline, or waist can make your sweater uncomfortable to wear.
- Forgetting about washing: Lights, batteries, and other electrical or delicate decorations need to be removed before the sweater is cleaned.
Tips for Better DIY Ugly Sweaters
The best DIY ugly sweaters aren’t necessarily the ones with the most decorations. A little planning will help your sweater look suitably outrageous while still being comfortable enough to wear.
- Mix textures and sizes. Combine flat decorations such as felt appliqués with dimensional elements such as pom-poms, bows, and lightweight ornaments.
- Reinforce heavier decorations. Add a few hand stitches to ornaments that pull on the sweater or feel insecure.
- Decorate beyond the front. Add smaller details to the sleeves or back if you’re making the sweater for an ugly Christmas sweater contest.
- Keep movement in mind. Leave some space around the underarms and other areas that bend or stretch.
- Make decorations removable. Safety pins or temporary stitches are useful if you want to reuse the sweater after Christmas.
- Try it on as you work. This makes it easier to check the placement and weight before you add even more decorations.
DIY Ugly Sweater FAQs
A good ugly sweater is deliberately excessive, combining festive colors, mismatched decorations, funny details, or an exaggerated Christmas theme. There aren’t really any rules, so the more unexpected the design, the better it can work.
Yes. You don’t need an actual knitted sweater to make a DIY ugly sweater. A plain sweatshirt makes a great base and can be easier to decorate, particularly when attaching felt, appliqués, pom poms, and other embellishments.
Use removable attachment methods such as safety pins or loose hand stitches rather than glue. After Christmas, carefully remove the decorations and any remaining threads so you can wear the sweater again.
Yes. Kids can help plan the design and add lightweight decorations such as felt shapes, pom poms, ribbons, and bows. Choose age-appropriate materials and have an adult handle hot glue guns, sewing needles, or other tools that require supervision.
Make your sweater easy to notice with bold colors, oversized decorations, lights, bells, or other unexpected details. The goal is to create something festive, funny, and different enough to stand out from the other sweaters.
DIY Ugly Sweaters – In Conclusion
Now is the time to make tacky and super gaudy DIY ugly sweaters and not even be embarrassed about it. Use these ideas as inspiration, add your own creative touches, and have fun going completely over the top. After all, the tackier the better!
More Christmas Crafts:
Author - Luisa Clare
Luisa Clare is the founder of Treasurie, a sewing and crochet education platform offering step-by-step tutorials and printable patterns. With over 15 years of experience in dressmaking, pattern design, crochet, and craft education, she specialises in teaching beginners through clear, easy-to-follow lessons. Her tutorials and patterns are used by home sewists and crocheters worldwide to build practical skills and confidence. Learn more about Luisa and Treasurie.
