Sweatshirts for Ugly Sweater Parties

It’s that time of year when the weather gets cold, and there are your typical holiday parties and get togethers.  And guess what? You are invited to the company or a friend’s ugly sweater holiday party!  Unfortunately (but really fortunately all other times of the year), you don’t own one ugly sweater!  Let’s face it, who goes out and purchases an ugly sweater?  Maybe only this time of year, but we bet that you would rather be spending your money on other stuff.  Money can be tight around the holidays, and who wants to waste it on an ugly sweater?  So here are some ideas, that won’t break the bank, for your wardrobe for your next ugly sweater party.

Find a Sweatshirt

Get a cheap sweatshirt at your local craft store or order through Shirts For Anything, and you will be surprised that you can easily turn it into an ugly sweater.  Sweatshirts that we think would make a great ugly sweater are: Hanes, Gildan……

Or if you really don’t want to spend any money, search for a sweatshirt in the back of your closet.  It doesn’t matter if it’s too small or too big, it will just add character to the final product! Still out of luck? Call a family member or friend and see if they have one that they wouldn’t mind departing with. 

Uglify Time!

Now that you have your canvas, you can begin the process of creating the ugliest sweater that you will ever own.  Now remember, uglier the better! Don’t hold back.  Remember clashing colors, horrible artwork, and obscure scenes will make you sweater shine even brighter!  Here are some ideas to get you started:

           

Argyle Sweater: Argyle sweaters are your traditional sweater.  Turn your sweatshirt into an ugly argyle sweater by using: fabric spray paint (or markers) and tape.  Simply tape off the design that you would like to create and color in the lines.  It would be helpful to have a shirt form board or piece of cardboard in the sweatshirt to prevent wrinkles from messing up your design.  Pick clashing colors and go wild!

            Cotton balls:  Using cotton balls is a great way to bring the winter theme into your shirt design.  Cotton balls can be left as is or stretched apart to make: a family of snowmen, a snowy ground cover, snow on trees, Santa’s beard, or clouds in the sky.  The possibilities are endless.  Just use a hot glue gun or fabric glue to adhere the cotton balls. 

            Outdoor Scene:  Bring some “real” nature to your sweatshirt by decorating it with items from outside.  Now if you would like to use the sweater over and over again, this may not be the best choice for you. Try creating an outdoor snowy scene of trees by hot gluing sticks vertically across your shirt and then gluing pine needles (or other greenery) to make trees.  You can even add some pine cones.  Next pull apart some cotton balls and drape them over the trees, to make a snowy scene.  Add some glittery with glue or glittery puffy paint to make snow fall from the sky and make sparkly snow.  You can also make a holly leaf shirt by gluing holly leaves to the shirt and then gluing red pompoms in the center.

            Iron-on Transfers:  Try printing the body of a popular holiday character: Santa, Mrs. Claus, Rudolph, the Grinch, an elf, a nutcracker or a snowman on iron-on transfer paper, but leave the character’s head off.  Strategically iron-on the transfer with the body of the character meeting the neckline of the shirt, and you will have turned yourself into the character!  Or print other holiday scenes and embellish with fabric paint and glitter.

Make an iron-on transfer: What you will need is an ink jet print, heat decal paper, an iron, and a shirt.  Find a design that you like online or through clipart.  Before you print it, make sure that you have the setting to print on a mirrored image (if you don’t, then any text will be read backwards).  Then print it on iron-on transfer paper and cut it to size.  Cut close to the image to avoid unwanted residue showing up on your shirt.  Place the design on your shirt, and grab a towel to place over the design.  Turn your iron on and make sure that the steam setting is off.  Then iron away.  Simple and easy.  Most heat transfer paper work best with white or light colored shirts, but if you want to go dark, make sure you get transfer paper that is made for dark apparel.

            Old Holiday Décor:  You can use old holiday décor that you were going to trash to make a super-ugly holiday sweater.  Get a green sweatshirt and turn it into a Christmas tree by decorating it with garland, red bows, and old ornaments (preferably ones that won’t break).  For extra points, sew on an old tree skirt to the bottom of the sweatshirt for a top-notch finishing touch.

Stocking:  Get a red sweatshirt and write your name on an angle and you have your Christmas stocking.  Add some cotton around the neck of the shirt for some extra fluff.  Don’t forget the loop on the back for hanging it on the chimney with care.  And if you have a naughty side, you can have a bag of coal dangling over the edge of the stocking.

             

We hope that some of these ideas have sparked some creativity in you, so that you can get out there and make the best ugliest sweater this season!