I’m the ‘Queen’ of DIYing Ugly Christmas Sweaters—Take a Look at My 5 Favorite ‘Iconic’ Looks

The holidays are here, and with them come endless opportunities to flaunt festive clothing, which includes ugly Christmas sweaters! With their fun designs (which can sometimes be more cute than ugly) this fashion trend is far from just a seasonal fad. In fact, these iconic looks have become a symbol of holiday cheer, bringing joy wherever they are worn. Whether you sport one to an office party, throw one on for a family get-together, or choose to lounge around in one at home, they add a playful touch to any outfit. And we've got 5 of the very best ugly Christmas sweater ideas!

This beloved piece of clothing has been around for decades, dating back to the 1980s when they became a staple of holiday gatherings, thanks in part to shows like The Simpsons and The Office. Today, people not only enjoy buying them at stores, but they also love to create their own. One person who especially likes making this seasonal craft is avid DIYer, entrepreneur and mom of two Lynn Lilly. “I have been making ugly Christmas sweaters for the last 10 years!” she tells Parade. “I love making them because there are no rules when it comes to designing them.”

If you’ve always wanted to make one, but you don’t consider yourself to be very crafty, she says you shouldn’t let that stop you. “Anyone can make ugly Christmas sweaters—you don’t have to be an expert!” she notes. “I don’t sew and I have made countless ugly sweaters over the years.”

To find out what some of her favorite creations are, keep reading. She not only provides pictures of some of her most iconic DIY ugly Christmas sweaters, but she also provides step-by-step directions in case you want to make a few yourself this year!

Related: 40 Christmas Traditions To Make Your Family's Holiday Season Merry and Bright

5 Best Ugly Christmas Sweater Ideas To DIY

1. Yeti Face Ugly Christmas Sweater

We're still smiling from the photo above.

“This Ugly Christmas sweater is furry, a little cute and a little ugly!” Lilly says. “It’s sure to be a hit at any holiday party and is so easy to make!”

Supplies

• Red sweater/sweatshirt

• Scissors

• Fabric glue

• Felt/foam sheets

• Sequin trim

• Ribbon

• Fluffy loose yarn

• Pipe cleaners

Instructions

1. Draw two half circles on craft foam or felt. One of them should be black and the other one should be blue. Make sure they are the same size, as they will each be used to create one circle, which will be the Yeti’s face.

2. Carefully cut each half circle out.

3. Glue each half circle to your sweater/sweatshirt, making sure you place the blue one on top and the black one below it. Leave a couple of inches between the two halves, so you can later add the fluffy yarn between them.

4. Draw the eyes, teeth, nose and tongue on the foam sheets, cut them out and then glue each one to the Yeti’s face.

5. Give your Yeti its signature furry appearance by adding loose yarn around the outline of the circle and across the middle where you left a gap between the two half circles.

6. Lastly, use sequin trim or ribbon to create a wavy string in any design on your shirt. Glue it in place, then cut out felt lights that you can glue down. You can also use the pipe cleaners to craft fun shapes that you can add to your shirt.

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2. Present Bow Ugly Christmas Sweater

“You can transform yourself into the perfect holiday gift with this sweater!” Lilly tells Parade.

Supplies

• Sweater/sweatshirt

• A bag of gift bows

• Holiday fabric (you can also use wrapping paper or patterned holiday cardstock)

• Fabric glue

• Scissors

• Sequin trim (optional)

• Pencil

Instructions

1. Start by drawing a heart shape on holiday fabric, holiday wrapping paper or holiday cardstop. Tip: The heart should be pretty large, but you want to make sure it leaves enough room when it’s placed on your shirt so you can arrange your gift bows around it. Once it’s the size you want, cut it out.

2. Glue the heart down to the center of your shirt.

3. Next, one-by-one, glue each gift bow around the edge of the heart so it creates an outline. Tip: You can alternate the gift bows by colors so your bows are in a pattern, use gift bows in all one color or randomly place down the gift bows as you go.

4. If you want to add a little sparkle to your shirt, use sequin trim along the neckline of your sweater/sweatshirt and the cuffs of your sleeves.

Related: Enjoy this Greatest List of 150 Christmas Puns—Ha-Ha-Ha, Merry Christmas!

3. Patch-Inspired Ugly Christmas Sweater

“These ugly sweaters/sweatshirts are all about the patch trend!” Lilly explains.

Supplies

• Sweater/sweatshirt

• Iron-on patches

• Parchment paper

• Iron

Instructions

1. Pick out some iron-on patches you want to use on your ugly sweater. You can choose letters to spell out a holiday-themed word/Christmas phrase or use a bunch of festive-themed patches.

2. Arrange all of the patches you chose into a design you like on your shirt.

3. Set your iron to its hottest setting. Note: Make sure you turn off the steam function.

4. Cover your patches with parchment paper and press the iron down on the patches for 60 seconds. Once you lift the iron up, your patches will be attached to your shirt.

Related: These 35 Christmas 'Would You Rather' Questions Are Perfect for the Whole Family

4. Zigzag Tree Ugly Christmas Sweater

“This sweater is so much fun to create with leftover ornaments you have after decorating your tree!” Lilly exclaims. “You can have fun with the color scheme and get creative with what type of ornaments you use.”

Supplies

• Sweater/sweatshirt

• Rickrack or thin ribbon

• Fabric glue

• Hot glue gun

• Tiny ball ornaments, plastic bells, small gift boxes, Merry Christmas ornament

• Marker

Instructions

1. To begin, draw a zig zag Christmas tree on your shirt with a marker.

2. Once you finish the tree’s shape, apply fabric glue along the line and adhere the thin ribbon or Rickrack to it so it creates a colorful tree shape. Tip: You can use any color ribbon or Rickrack—it doesn’t have to be green.

3. Next, cut and glue three small 1-inch pieces of Rickrack or ribbon to your shirt for the tree trunk. Make sure you choose a different color than the one you used for the tree.

4. Position the ball ornaments and any other tree decorations, including the Christmas bells, where you’d like them to be on your zig zag tree. After you finish, place the presents under the tree and the Merry Christmas ornament below them. Then, hot glue everything down.

5. If you want to add more color to your ugly Christmas sweater, glue ribbon or Rickrack around the bottom of your shirt, the arm cuffs and the neckline.

Related: Get Ready To Play ‘Never Have I Ever: Christmas Edition' This Year

5. Abominable Snowman Ugly Christmas Sweater

“You can turn your kiddo or your whole family into light-up abominable snowmen with this design!” Lilly shares.

Supplies

• Black sweater/sweatshirt

• White faux fur fabric

• Battery operated fairy lights

• Red, white and gray felt

• Gold shimmery fabric (optional)

• Holiday ribbons

• Acrylic jewels

• Scissors

• Pencil

• Fabric glue or hot glue gun

• White pom

• Black pipe cleaner

Instructions

1. On the back of the faux fur fabric, draw an outline of an abominable snowman and cut it out. Tip: Use a pencil so you can adjust the size of it and make the shape exactly what you want.

2. Then, draw the facial features and claws on the gray and white felt fabric and cut them out.

3. Attach the body of the abominable snowman to your sweater/sweatshirt with glue first. Follow that by gluing on the felt claws and facial features.

4. Next, create the abominable snowman’s hat by cutting a triangle shape out of the red felt. Glue that on top of its head and then glue a white pom at the point of the hat.

5. After that, it’s time to create all the other festive accessories on this ugly Christmas sweater. To make the trees, cut tall, long triangle shapes out of the white fabric. Make sure two are a couple of inches tall and two are about four-five inches tall.

6. Glue one short and one tall tree on each side of the abominable snowman.

7. Finish off your felt Christmas trees by cutting the black pipe cleaners into whatever length you want the tree trunks to be and then glue them down.

8. If you want to add Christmas presents to your shirt, simply cut out small squares in different sizes from the red, gray and white felt fabric. Then, glue them down on either side of the abominable snowman’s feet. You can then use the ribbon and gold fabric to make bows for them so they look more festive.

9. Create a snowy atmosphere by gluing several of the acrylic jewels onto your shirt so they look like snowflakes.

10. Lastly, if you want to make your abominable snowman light up, the trick is to use battery powered fairy lights! Just use a hot glue gun to keep them in place and the faux fur will help hide the wire and tiny battery box.

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