Ugly Christmas Sweater Ideas: 30 Designs You Can Print on a Sweatshirt

You do not need to knit anything. Most "ugly Christmas sweaters" people wear to parties are printed sweatshirts with a design that imitates knitting. That is good news, because it means the joke can be yours instead of the same reindeer everybody else bought. Here are 30 ideas, the trick that makes a print look knitted, and the ordering deadline.

The knitted-look trick

When you describe the design, ask for "pixel-style knitted pattern, fair isle bands, chunky stitched texture". Stitch texture and blocky pixel edges are what the eye reads as a sweater. A smooth cartoon on a sweatshirt looks like a Christmas t-shirt; a pixelated one looks like a sweater. Keep the palette to red, green, white and one gold accent.

30 ugly Christmas sweater ideas

Classic ugly

1. A reindeer with an enormous knitted nose and the words "It's not a phase"
2. Fair isle bands of snowflakes interrupted by a row of tiny pizzas
3. A cat knocking a bauble off a tree, in pixel knit
4. Santa stuck head-first in a chimney, legs kicking
5. A gingerbread man with a bite missing saying "Well, this is awkward"
6. Christmas pudding wearing sunglasses
7. "Sleigh My Name" with a sleigh full of fairy lights
8. A snowman melting slowly with the caption "Global warming, but festive"

Office party

9. Your company logo re-knitted in fair isle style
10. "Per my last email" surrounded by holly
11. A knitted spreadsheet with a Christmas tree drawn in the cells
12. "Out of office until January" with a reindeer on a sun lounger
13. Department shirts: Accounts (calculator with a Santa hat), IT (a router with reindeer antlers), HR (an elf holding a clipboard)
14. "Secret Santa budget: exceeded"

Couples

15. Two sweaters showing the left and right halves of one giant knitted reindeer
16. "Ugly" and "Uglier", the same lettering, different colours
17. A knitted cartoon of the two of you arguing over the last mince pie
18. "Plug" and "Socket" with fairy-light cables that connect when you stand together

Family

19. Every family member as a different tree ornament, one per sweater
20. Your surname as a fake Christmas market: "Patel Family Glühwein Stand"
21. A knitted family portrait with the dog in the middle
22. "Nice", "Naughty" and "Still deciding" for the kids

Pets

23. Your dog's face repeated in a fair isle band
24. A cat wearing a Christmas jumper, wearing a Christmas jumper
25. "My dog ate the tinsel and now it's a personal problem"

Actually nice ones

26. A minimalist single knitted tree on the chest, forest green on cream
27. A vintage Alpine ski-lodge crest with your family name
28. Fair isle bands in tasteful navy and rust, no jokes
29. A pixel snowscape of your town's skyline
30. Snowflakes only, in a colour that matches your kitchen for the family photo

Sweatshirt or hoodie?

	Crewneck sweatshirt	Hoodie
Looks like a sweater	Yes	Less so
Full front print area	Yes	Pocket and hood cords cut into the design
Price	About $38	About $48
Best for	Parties, photos	Actually wearing it in January

Order deadline

Ugly sweater parties cluster in the second and third weeks of December. Production and delivery takes two to four weeks, so order by 20 November to be safe anywhere in the US, UK or Australia.

How to make one

Describe it in one sentence, for example "pixel-style knitted fair isle sweater pattern with a cat tangled in fairy lights, red green and cream", generate it in the Wearlie designer, and order it on a sweatshirt. One is fine; there is no minimum.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a custom ugly Christmas sweater with no minimum?

Yes. Print-on-demand sweatshirts are made one at a time, so a single sweater costs the same per unit as ten.

Is a printed sweatshirt really acceptable at an ugly sweater party?

Most people there are wearing one. The knitted-texture design style is what makes it read as a sweater.

How much does a custom Christmas sweatshirt cost?

Around $38 including shipping. See the custom apparel price guide.