20 Ugly Sweater Ideas That Will Make Everyone Laugh

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Ugly Sweater Ideas for Your Holiday Parties

Don we now our worst apparel, fa la la la la la la la la! It is time to pull out your worst winter wardrobe and get ready to rock a holiday season favorite: The Ugly Sweater Party! Today we present 20 ugly sweater ideas that are not only fun, but totally brilliant. PLUS as an extra bonus, we created the cutest FREE printables for you to host your very own Ugly Christmas Sweater Party! The free download comes with ugly sweater ideas for your party, ugly sweater party invitations, treat tags, voting slips, and the most adorable ugly Christmas sweater contest winner badges! Just get your craziest friends together, raid your grandma’s closet, and celebrate the holidays.

Ok, I love Ugly Sweater Christmas Parties! These ideas and prints from www.TheDatingDivas.com are amazing! Trying #6 this year! #UglySweaterIdeas #TheDatingDivas #UglyChristmasSweater
Ugly sweater ideas for an unforgettable Ugly Sweater Christmas party

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. To learn more about ’em, click here.

20 DIY Ugly Sweater Ideas

One of the best things about an ugly sweater party is seeing all of the hilarious tops that people have found. Unfortunately, with the increase in popularity, it can be tough to find a classic, vintage ugly Christmas sweater. But don’t let that discourage you! Just bust out your glue gun and DIY your very own based on these fantastic ugly sweater ideas below!

1 . DIY Crocheted Christmas Light Sweater

Girl in crocheted Christmas Lights Ugly Sweater. | The Dating Divas
Girl in a DIY Christmas sweater with crocheted Christmas lights

If you can crochet, this is the CUTEST of all the ugly sweaters. Studio DIY knows what’s up!

2 . Stocking Ugly Sweater

Ugly Christmas sweater idea of a woman with a stocking on her sweater | The Dating Divas
Stocking attached to a sweater for an ugly Christmas sweater party

Choose any of your sweaters and slap a stocking on it! You can make this as permanent or temporary as you need with glue, safety pins, or a sewing machine!

3 . Yetis and Boas and Flowers, Oh My!

Yeti-Themed Ugly Christmas Sweater Idea | The Dating Divas
A yeti-themed ugly sweater idea

Okay, how hilarious is this? This idea in particular is from Etsy, so if you don’t have time to make your own version, buy it from someone who does! But seriously, the boa is so much fun!

4 . A Nod to the Nutcracker Christmas Sweater

DIY Ugly Sweater idea with a Nutcracker theme | The Dating Divas
Homemade ugly Christmas sweater pic with a Nutcracker theme

The Nutcracker is a Christmas classic. This cute revamp of a red sweater pays homage to the ballet of the season. This is one of a few ugly sweater ideas that would be great for him OR her.

5 . Mounted Trophy Deer Ugly Sweater Ideas

A stuffed animal head becomes a Christmas sweater | The Dating Divas
Ugly Christmas sweater party idea with stuffed animal

This one made me LOL! Find any stuffed animal (the deer is a fun choice!) and mount it on a sweater. Everyone is going to want an ugly Christmas sweater pic with you!

6 . Advent Calendar Sweater Idea

White Sweater With Colorful Pockets as one of the Best Ugly Christmas Sweater Ideas | The Dating Divas
Advent calendar idea for an ugly Christmas sweater party

25 mini pockets?! I’m going to need 25 mini treats to fit in this adorable advent calendar ugly sweater!

7 . Grandma Got Ran Over By a Reindeer

Woman Lays Down with Reindeer Tracks on Her Back for an Ugly Sweater Party | The Dating Divas
Ugly sweater party idea for the song “Grandma Got Ran Over By a Reindeer”

You may not love the song, but it’s hard to not LOVE this hilarious DIY ugly sweater idea! The link on this one takes you to an Etsy store, but you could use items around the house to recreate the same look.

8 . Elf in a Mirror Ugly Christmas Sweater

DIY Ugly Sweater Idea for Elf-Themed Sweater with Presents | The Dating Divas
Mirror on an elf-themed ugly sweater

Watch the linked video to see how to make a funny elf sweater. The elf’s face is a mirror so your friends can become the face of the elf. I haven’t seen an ugly sweater idea like this before. I love how original it is!

9 . Tinsel Ugly Christmas Sweater

Tinsel-wrapped ugly Christmas sweater Idea | The Dating Divas
Tinsel-wrapped DIY ugly Christmas sweater

Is it just me or would you also wear this somehow-adorable ugly sweater just because?

10 . DIY Elf Shirt

A Simple Felt Elf Body for an Ugly Christmas Sweater | The Dating Divas
Elf-body ugly Christmas sweater DIY

Originally a tutorial for a child’s shirt, this would also be amazing on an adult! Make yourself a little elf!

11 . Glitter-filled Sweater

Decorate a Sweater with a Tree, Pom Poms, and Glitter | The Dating Divas
Design a glittery ugly Christmas sweater with a Christmas tree

While it may look like a kindergartener made this, that’s kind of the point, right? Utilize a kid in your life and have them help you make this hilarious ugly sweater idea!

12 . PomPom Parade Christmas Sweater

Ugly Christmas Sweater Idea Using Pom Poms on a Cardigan | The Dating Divas
DIY pom pom ugly Christmas sweater pic

Would it be weird to wear an “ugly sweater” every day during the holiday season? I love these cute pom-poms on a comfy cardigan!

13 . Giant Rudolf Sweater

Giant Reindeer Face on an Ugly Christmas Sweater | The Dating Divas
Giant Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer ugly sweater idea

Show how BIG your Christmas spirit really is with this giant Rudolf sweater!

14 . Cotton Ball Snowman Sweater

Snowman Ugly Sweater Idea Using Cotton Batting | The Dating Divas
Cotton batting snowman ugly sweater idea

Fluffy and fun! Those are the first two words that come to mind with this inventive Christmas sweater.

15. Mantel and Fireplace with Stockings Ugly Sweater Dress

DIY Fireplace Ugly Sweater Dress That Uses Your Arms as the Mantel for Stockings | The Dating Divas
Ugly sweater dress with a fire and mantel arms for stockings

Switch up the sweater look with a sweater dress! This could also be done with a regular-length sweater. I love the detail of stockings on the arms!

16 . Santa Tipping the Tree Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest Winner

Santa Tipping Over the Christmas Tree Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest Winner | The Dating Divas
Santa tipping over the Christmas tree DIY ugly Christmas sweater contest winner

This DIY ugly sweater idea really did win an ugly Christmas sweater contest! Remake it and see if you win as well!

17 . Ugly Christmas Tie Tree Sweater

An Ugly Christmas Sweater With Christmas Ties Making a Tree | The Dating Divas
Old Christmas ties repurposed for one of the easiest ugly Christmas sweater ideas

Does your man have a few ridiculous Christmas ties hanging around? Repurpose them for an ugly Christmas sweater contest!

18 . Bow-utiful Christmas Sweaters

Repurpose Gift Bows for an Ugly Christmas Sweater | The Dating Divas
Sticky-backed bows on a sweater for an ugly Christmas sweater party

I think this is the perfect, quick, DIY ugly sweater idea. If you are in a rush, pull out that bag of bows (we know you’ve been saving them up!) and start sticking them on a sweater!

19 . Snow Globe Belly Sweater

A Clear Bowl as a Snow-globe on an Ugly Christmas Sweater | The Dating Divas
Ugly Christmas sweater party contest winner with a snow-globe on the belly.

I had never seen this one before! Find a clear bowl at the dollar store and make your own snow globe. Cute!

20 . Christmas Tree Skirt

Tree-skirt Turned Ugly Christmas Sweater Skirt | The Dating Divas
Upcycle a tree skirt into an actual Christmas skirt

Instead of an ugly sweater, dress it up this holiday season by turning a Christmas tree skirt into an actual skirt!

Plan Your Own Ugly Christmas Sweater Party

Leave it to the Divas to create our OWN Ugly Christmas Sweater Party and go ALL OUT! We had such a blast and we’re SO excited to share with you how you can host your very own Ugly Sweater Party!

Not only do we have tons of ideas to get your party rockin’, but our fabulous Diva Designer Elizabeth has created all the printables that you could ever need to make your Ugly Christmas Sweater Party a success! Just keep scrolling to check out everything that comes in this adorable Ugly Christmas Sweater Party Kit!

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party Printable Pack | The Dating Divas
Free printables for an ugly Christmas sweater party

First up in your Ugly Sweater Party kit, a FABULOUS party guide that will help your party go seamlessly! Packed with ugly Christmas sweater party ideas, planning tips and tricks, this guide will be your very best friend. In addition to the guide, there are 6 printable treat tags, each with a unique saying and super fun design!

Your Ugly Sweater Party invitations are designed to be two-sided so you can fold it and have a super fun front and back. The front of the Ugly Christmas Sweater Party invite contains a fun saying and a cute sweater, while the back has all the party information your guests will need, including a special reminder to “Wear Your Winter Worst!”

One of our must-have, extra necessary, totally great Ugly Sweater Party ideas is the actual contest. Gather your friends and get ready to decide who has the ultimate ugly Christmas sweater. To make the voting magic extra special, we’ve included a printable voting sign as well as custom-made voting slips and winning medallions for the UGLY, UGLIER, and UGLIEST sweaters of the night. 

Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest Party Winner Awards | The Dating Divas
Printable awards for an ugly Christmas sweater contest

May the winners wear them as proud as they do their grandma’s sweater! As if these badges aren’t good enough, you might consider gifting the winners a special sweater-themed favor or gift as well!

I TOLD you we had everything you would need to throw the perfect Ugly Christmas Sweater Party! The good, the bad, and the UGLY! 😉

And if you yourself still need to find what YOU are going to wear to the party, we’ve got you covered there too! We get that not everyone has time for DIY, so head to this list of hilarious Ugly Christmas Sweaters for some of our favorites that you can grab!

Enjoy your ugly Christmas sweater party! Don’t forget to take those fabulous ugly Christmas sweater pics and tag us on Instagram!

Hoping these ugly sweater ideas will make your holiday season bright, wacky, and totally tacky. Now go check out these other fun pages:

Free Download

Ugly Sweater Party

Printables Designed By Elizabeth Edwards Exclusively For The Dating Divas

Elizabeth

I'm a friendly gal who's obsessed with all things marriage and Hubby-related :). When I'm not having adventures with my sweetheart and baby boy, you can find me in photographer mode, deep in a Netflix binge, or crafting! I also enjoy treasure hunting (aka. thrifting), dark chocolate, and eating as much sushi as possible.

Learn more about Elizabeth
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Recent Comments

  1. Throwing an ugly Christmas sweater party can be funniest and most enjoyable themes. I can take great ideas by following your blog. Thanks for sharing.

  2. For something fun for Christmas day my family wanted to do a Murder Mystery–my son wanted the Ugly Sweater Party Murder Mystery…I downloaded it and it was SERIOUSLY lacking!!!! Thank goodness I found your site! I downloaded and used the ideas from your site and they made a WORLD of difference at our Christmas party. What a great time! Thank you.

  3. I’m hosting an Ugliest Sweater Christmas Party this year. I hope to incorporate your ideas. They look like fun! Will let you know how it turns out

    1. So happy you found us Ruby! I hope your party is fabulous! It is one my favorite ones I have done – for sure!

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