Easy DIY ugly Christmas sweater ideas for adults and children to try in December 2022!

Need inspiration for this year’s ugly Christmas sweater? Don’t worry, we’re here with some terrible yet hilarious ideas that stand a pretty good chance of winning the ugly Christmas sweater contest! In fact, we have prepared for you a few DIY ugly Christmas sweater options that you can easily make yourself at home. And don’t forget that every idea can be improved when we put something of ourselves into it too. So, we challenge you to find inspiration from our suggestions, but also use your imagination to make an extremely ugly sweater that will evoke laughter and smiles to everyone who sees it!

DIY ugly Christmas sweater ideas

Although there are many ugly Christmas sweaters sold on the market, we recommend you make it yourself. There’s nothing better than putting time and effort into something so fun. A handmade sweater is always better than a bought one because of the creativity you put in and the whole idea behind it. If you also have kids, making ugly sweaters may become your favorite family activity! Kids love creating things with their hands, and they love doing it even more with the people closest to them! Now let’s get started with our DIY ugly Christmas sweater ideas!

DIY ugly Christmas sweater idea for adults

Our first DIY ugly Christmas sweater idea involves the use of ties, lots of ties! It sounds really ridiculous, but that’s the charm of all ugly sweaters, right? If you don’t want to spend a bunch of money on something you’ll only wear once, then roll up your sleeves and get to work! Get the old ties out of the closet too! No need to match them by color, the more spontaneous everything is the better! Now let’s see what you’ll need for this weird and ugly Christmas sweater! 

Tools and materials

• a sweater in color of your choice
• about 8 ties
• buttons in different colors and sizes
• different badges
• acrylic paints and paint brushes
• hot glue gun

Instructions

1. The first step is to get all the materials and tools to create the ugly sweater.
2. Take one of the ties you have and the acrylic paints. With a small paintbrush, paint white dots to resemble snowflakes on the top of the tie. Paint a snow scene with Christmas trees at the bottom.
3. You can also paint Christmas elements on the rest of the ties such as Christmas tree decorations, reindeer, Santa Claus, snowman and whatever comes to mind! In any case, don’t worry if you aren’t good at painting – it’s even better! We’re still making an ugly sweater!
4. Using the hot glue gun (or thread, but the gun is easier to use), attach different types of buttons along the length of the ties. Then attach the badges you had prepared also in random places.
5. Once you’re done and your ties look ridiculous enough, move on to attaching them to the sweater. Take one of the ties and make a big and stretchy bow with it. Turn it backwards and using a hot glue gun, glue 5 ties so that they “fall” off the ribbon. Use a solid amount of glue!
6. Then, put glue on the back of the ribbon (where the other ties are attached) and glue it to the top of the sweater so that the ties take center stage.
7. Put the sweater on and tie the remaining 2 ties to each of the sleeves, you can shape them like ribbons or not! You decide! 
8. Ready to conquer the ugly sweater contests! 

DIY ugly Christmas sweater idea for kids

Our next idea is for an ugly Christmas sweater for kids that you can make together with your child. We’re sure there isn’t a kid who wouldn’t be excited about something this fun! Here’s what you’ll need for the sweater!

Tools and materials

• a sweater of your choice
• green felt sheet
• yellow felt sheet
• small pom poms
• various buttons
• glitter glue in different colors
• beaded necklaces
• yarn in color of your choice
• hot glue gun
• a pencil
• scissors

Instructions

1. Prepare all materials. Have your child trace a Christmas tree on the green felt sheet using a pencil. Then help them cut it out carefully with scissors according to the outline.
2. Draw and cut out a star from the yellow felt sheet. Glue the star to the top of the tree with the hot glue gun.
3. Here comes the fun part – decorating the tree. Take a few old beaded necklaces and glue them to resemble tinsel garlands on a tree. 
4. Put buttons in different shapes and colors, and small pom-poms in various places on the tree. Finish with glitter glue in different colors (or use glitter powder and glue).
5. Glue the tree to the sweater with a hot glue gun.
6. Now it’s time to decorate the sleeves. Use thick yarn – cut two equal lengths of yarn (one for each sleeve). Start gluing the yarn from the top edge, where the sleeve begins, working downwards and aiming for a wavy line. If the yarn doesn’t reach the very edge of the sleeve, just add a little more of it. Don’t aim for perfection by any means!
7. Repeat the same on the other sleeve. Finally, put small pom poms around the yarn, so it looks like a shaggy garland.
8. Another ugly sweater is ready!

Other ideas for inspiration – Photo Gallery

Creepy-looking deer on a brown sweater

A couple’s ugly Christmas sweaters

Christmas silver tinsel garland cardigan

Gingerbread man on a red and green sweater

Christmas tree on an ugly sweater

An ugly Christmas sweater with lights and  a large bow

Hilarious Christmas sweater idea for her