The ugly Christmas sweater is a tradition that will never go away. In fact, it was a thing before it earned a special day of recognition. Adults and children have been sporting Christmas sweaters for generations, some more outlandish than others, and that is exactly how the tradition and celebration of ugly Christmas sweaters was started. If you want join in on the tradition this year, it’s easy to DIY a fabulous ugly Christmas sweater.
Rather than detest, fight against, or pout when someone gives or expects you to don an ugly Christmas sweater, everyone began to embrace and even celebrate the annual wardrobe selection. Celebrants soon began trying to one up their friends and relatives, by buying or even DIY a more outlandish, more festive sweater than anyone had ever seen. Now the tradition and sweaters are common, filling closets, waiting to be dressed up even more the next year to give everyone something new to get excited about.
The trend has become so popular that entire parties have been dedicated to ugly sweaters, requiring all attendees to wear their best creations, much like you would do for a costume party. A national day was named in honor of the new tradition to give people an entire day to come together in the spirit of the holiday, and wear their best attempt at celebrating the festive holiday season.
If you have never celebrated the day or worn a creation yourself, you might be wondering what is included or can be added to an ugly sweater. Anything and everything that you would see on a Christmas tree, used to decorate a home for the holidays, and Christmas icons are the perfect place to start. Garland, tinsel, bells, ornaments, stars, snowflakes, glitter, sequins, even lights are great items to add to a DIY sweater. Icons or images such as Santa Claus, Reindeer, the Grinch, Christmas trees, candy canes, depictions of the North Pole, and presents are all great ideas to add to a sweater as well. And don’t forget sayings and phrases! Lyrics to Christmas songs, popular lines from holiday movies, and common festive sayings are all great places to start for your DIY ugly Christmas sweater.
Other key items to remember when you are creating a DIY ugly Christmas sweater have to do with flair. Remember, the more flair or over the top aspects that you can add to a sweater, the better. Anything that adds dimension or moves is ideal. The more sparkle and shine you can add improves any look and no embellishment is too much. Elements that light up or make noise aren’t required, but should be.
Creating Your Ugly Christmas Sweater
To get started on a DIY ugly Christmas sweater you are going to need to get a few basic items together. Depending on how creative you are, you can start with absolute basics, or go for handier items that make it faster or easier to DIY.
To begin, you will need a basic sweater that is comfortable and has a little structure to it so that you can add items that might add weight. Sweaters that come in Christmas colors make it easier to decorate and create a themed design. Hot glue, thread, and safety pins are all basic items that are needed to help you adhere the decor items that you select to your sweater. Finally, a sketch of your idea is a great basic item to make and have on hand as you begin to work on your DIY ugly Christmas sweater to both aid you as you go and ensure you don’t forget any of the elements you decided on.
Once you have your basic items together, it’s time to DIY and get creative. Some of the most popular ugly sweater ideas include creating a Christmas tree complete with garland and ornaments, Christmas cats hanging in stocking and adorned with Santa hats, Rudolph silhouettes with antlers, strings of lights, and catchy phrases that are covered or written in sequins. The best place to start on your own sweater is to think of your favorite aspects of the holiday and design your sweater based on what you love.
To get everyone else into the holiday spirit with you, create matching sweaters for the entire family, or create complementing sweaters for a couple. To do this, you don’t need to have the exact same sweater design for everyone to be included, but pick a theme and deck out everyone’s sweaters in a way that includes the same elements but gives each one personal flair. Couple’s ugly Christmas sweaters can be fun, tacky, or even nerdy together.
Once you have created your fabulous piece, be sure to dress it up with fun, holiday accessories that add to your overall look and help you win the award for the ugliest Christmas sweater of the year.
