The Ultimate Ugly Sweater Party! Tasty Treats, and Hilarious Fun

The holiday season is upon us, and what better way to celebrate than with an Ugly Sweater Party? It’s the time of year when we can embrace the quirky, the tacky, and the downright hilarious with our friends and family. So, grab your knitting needles, dust off those eye-popping sweaters, and get ready to host a memorable bash that’s as fun as it is fashion-challenged!

What is an Ugly Sweater Party?

An Ugly Sweater party is a social gathering where attendees wear intentionally tacky, gaudy, or otherwise “ugly” holiday-themed sweaters. These sweaters are often characterized by loud colors and bold patterns and sometimes even incorporate elements like holiday-themed decorations, bells, or lights.

The concept of Ugly sweater parties gained popularity in the late 20th century and has become a fun and lighthearted holiday tradition in many parts of the world. Guests at these parties typically compete to see who can wear the most outlandishly ugly sweater, and prizes may be awarded for the most creatively awful attire.

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What to Do at an Ugly Sweater Party

I am so excited to share all the festive fun we had at our recent Ugly Sweater Extravaganza!  Let me tell you, it was a hoot and a half!

First things first, I went all out with the decorations. I’m talking twinkle lights, tinsel garlands, and a tree that practically sings “Jingle Bells” when you walk by! And of course, I had a whole station set up for DIY sweater decorating. Glitter, pom-poms, and even a hot glue gun made an appearance. The creativity was flowing, let me tell you!

Now let’s talk about the sweaters, folks. I raided thrift stores, grandma’s closet, you name it! The wackier, the better! We had sweaters with reindeer, Santas, and snowmen—you name it, we wore it! And let’s not forget the competition for the “Most Outrageous Ugly Sweater.” The winner? A sweater with actual jingling bells sewn on—talk about holiday spirit!

The kids had an absolute blast too. We set up a little hot cocoa bar with all the toppings. Mini marshmallows, crushed candy canes, and whipped cream galore! They were hopped up on sugar and giggled all night.

And you know we couldn’t have a party without some good old-fashioned games. We played “Pin the Nose on Rudolph” and had a hilarious round of Ugly Sweater Bingo. The laughter was absolutely contagious, let me tell you!

But the best part of the whole shebang? The memories we made Seeing everyone decked out in their holiday worst, sipping cocoa, and spreading cheer warmed my mama’s heart. It’s moments like these that remind me why I love this season so much!

Ugly Sweater Contest: The highlight of the evening! Encourage your guests to flaunt their ugliest, most creative sweaters. You can have categories like “Most Tacky,” “Most Festive,” and “DIY Masterpiece.” Hand out prizes for the winners, such as tacky trophies or holiday-themed gifts.

DIY Ugly Sweater Crafting: Set up a crafting station with plain sweaters, fabric paint, glitter, and all sorts of tacky embellishments. Let your guests get creative and make their own ugly sweater designs. This is a fantastic icebreaker and a great way to keep everyone entertained.

Christmas Karaoke: Prepare a selection of holiday songs and set up a karaoke machine. Encourage your guests to belt out their favorite Christmas tunes in their ugly sweater glory.

Ugly Sweater Trivia: Host a festive trivia game with holiday-themed questions. You can cover a variety of topics, from classic movies to famous Christmas traditions. Offer small prizes for correct answers.

White Elephant Gift Exchange: Organize a White Elephant gift exchange where guests bring quirky, funny, or downright unusual gifts. It’s always a hoot to see what everyone ends up with.

Holiday Movie Marathon: Set up a cozy movie-watching area with comfy blankets and pillows. Play classic holiday movies like “Home Alone,” “Elf,” or “A Christmas Story.”

Ugly Sweater Relay Race: Organize a relay race with guests wearing their ugly sweaters. They’ll have to complete silly tasks or challenges while wearing their festive and sometimes cumbersome attire.

Secret Santa: If you want to add a gift-giving element to your party, have guests participate in a Secret Santa gift exchange. Set a budget and encourage them to choose gifts that are just as fun and quirky as their ugly sweaters.

Ugly Sweaters Party Decorations

Bring your party theme into your decorations with these fun Ugly Sweater party décor ideas.

Ugly Sweater Garland: Start by crafting or purchasing an Ugly Sweater-themed garland. You can easily make one using felt or paper cutouts of sweater shapes strung together with twine. Hang it across the entrance or along the party area for a warm, cozy touch.

Tacky Tinsel: Go wild with tinsel! Drape tinsel garlands all over the place, even on the ceiling for a true holiday feel.

Giant Knit Pillows: Place giant, knitted throw pillows around your living space to create a comfy atmosphere. Bonus points if they resemble oversized sweaters!

Festive Lights: String up twinkling holiday lights throughout the party area. Mix and match colors to create a cozy ambiance.

DIY Ugly Sweater Photo Booth: Create a photo booth area with an array of ugly sweaters and accessories like oversized glasses, funny hats, and colorful scarves. Provide a Polaroid camera for instant photo fun and memories.

Ugly Sweater Contest Stage: Dedicate a space for the Ugly Sweater Contest. Set up a small stage with a backdrop, and prepare for the fashion showdown!

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Ugly Sweaters Party Food Ideas

Make sure your Ugly Sweater party is one to remember with these fun food ideas.

Savory Sweater Pies: Make mini pot pies or savory hand pies and use a sweater-shaped cookie cutter to create a decorative pastry top. These will be a hit!

Ugly Sweater Cookies: Bake sugar cookies and have a decorating station with colorful icing, sprinkles, and edible markers for guests to create their own Ugly Sweater Cookies.

Hot Cocoa Bar: Set up a hot cocoa bar with different toppings like whipped cream, marshmallows, crushed candy canes, and sprinkles. Provide cute mugs and stirring spoons for a festive touch.

Sweater-Shaped Sandwiches: Make sandwiches and use sweater-shaped cookie cutters to create fun, bite-sized sandwiches. Fill them with a variety of ingredients for guests to enjoy.

Candy Cane “Striped” Treats: Incorporate candy canes into your treats, like candy cane-shaped Rice Krispie treats or peppermint-flavored brownies.

Fruit Christmas Tree: Arrange an assortment of colorful fruits into the shape of a Christmas tree on a large platter. Provide a yogurt dip for guests to enjoy with the fruit.

Sweater-Inspired Cheese Platter: Create a cheese platter in the shape of an ugly sweater. Arrange different types of cheese in a sweater pattern and use cherry tomatoes or olives to decorate it like buttons or ornaments.

Mini Ugly Sweater Pizzas: Serve mini pizzas with sweater-shaped pepperoni or other toppings. You can use a sweater-shaped cookie cutter to create the pepperoni patterns or cut them into holiday shapes.

Ugly Sweater Deviled Eggs: Make deviled eggs and decorate the tops with festive and fun designs using paprika, chives, and other colorful seasonings. Try to create mini sweater patterns for an extra touch.

Tacky Taco Bar: Set up a taco bar with all the fixings and encourage guests to pile their tacos high with ingredients in wild and colorful combinations. Use taco shells with multi-colored stripes for added tackiness.

Ugly Sweater Fruit Salad: Prepare a fruit salad using a variety of colorful fruits like strawberries, kiwi, blueberries, and pineapple. Arrange the fruits to create sweater-like patterns or holiday-themed designs.

Ugly Sweater Cupcake Decorating: Bake a batch of cupcakes and provide a decorating station with colored icing, edible glitter, and Ugly Sweater-themed toppers. Let guests decorate their own cupcakes with tacky flair.

Sweater-Inspired Dip: Create a festive dip, like a spinach and artichoke dip or a buffalo chicken dip, and use colored bell peppers, shredded cheese, and sour cream to decorate the top in a sweater pattern.

Christmas Sweater Sushi: If you’re feeling adventurous, serve sushi rolls cut into sweater shapes. Decorate them with colorful sauces and edible seaweed strips to create festive patterns.

Ugly Sweater Party Final Note

With these ideas, your Ugly Sweater Party is sure to be a memorable and laughter-filled event that brings out the holiday spirit in everyone. So, gather your friends and family, put on your silliest sweaters, and let the festivities begin!

About Author

Jane Sheriff is the founder, creative director, party planner and mom of three. She started Darling Celebrations back in 2012 to share easy and beautiful ideas for celebrating the special events in life.