• 60 ideas

Ugly Sweater Drawing Ideas

Deal three sweater recipes of motif, pattern band and trim, then sort by funny, classic knit, punny, easy or cute.

Ugly Sweater Drawing Ideas

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  1. A round yoke of pattern rings, plain body, ribbed edgesRings of pattern circle the neck like ripples in a pond. Make each ring wider than the one inside it.
  2. Tree Rex, a dinosaur wrapped in lights, footprint bandsThe tiny arms cannot reach the top of the tree, which is the joke. Balance the star on its nose instead.
  3. A reindeer face, stuffed antlers sticking out, red bobble noseShow the antlers leaving the sweater, with a shadow under each so they stand clear of the front.

Next step Chart the pattern on squared paper firstMore funny subjects that are not sweaters

All 60 ideas

Funny 20

  • A cat tangled in fairy lights, zigzag bands, jingle bell hem Wind the light string round the cat twice and hang one bulb off a paw. A jingle bell is a circle with a slot.
  • A fireplace across the chest, stocking row, felt flames A brick arch with a mantel at chest height. Felt shapes get a blanket-stitch edge, a row of tiny L shapes.
  • A gingerbread body, icing zigzag cuffs, gumdrop buttons Colour the whole sweater biscuit brown. Wavy white lines at cuffs and hem, three round buttons down the front.
  • A goose running off with the tree star, feather bands, bells Neck stretched forward, star in the beak, bare tree left behind. Webbed footprints make the hem band.
  • A kitten unravelling the hem, wool ball bands, loose thread Run one wavy strand from the hem to the kitten's paws and leave the bottom rows of the sweater half gone.
  • A melting snowman, puddle-blue hem, stuffed carrot nose A hat, two coal eyes and a carrot floating on a puddle. Let the puddle drip down over the hem ribbing.
  • A penguin sliding down one sleeve, ice bands, white cuffs Turn the sleeve into a slope. A penguin on its front is a bean shape with flippers out and feet up.
  • A pizza-slice tree, pepperoni baubles, melted cheese hem A slice held point up is already a tree. Pepperoni circles are the baubles and the crust is the base.
  • A reindeer face, stuffed antlers sticking out, red bobble nose Show the antlers leaving the sweater, with a shadow under each so they stand clear of the front.
  • A reindeer seen from behind, hoofprint bands, pom-pom tail Antlers at the top, a round rump in the middle. The pom-pom tail is a circle of short strokes fanning outwards.
  • A snow globe chest panel, snowdrift bands, sequin snow A big circle on a flat base with a tiny scene inside. Each sequin is a small circle with a highlight dot.
  • A sprout in a party hat, green dot bands, tinsel collar Tinsel is one of the trims said to make a Christmas jumper ugly. Draw it as a fuzzy rope of short spikes.
  • A yeti trimming a tree, footprint bands, shaggy fringe hem All fur, so the outline is one long zigzag. Fringe is a row of hanging lines, some longer than others.
  • An Advent calendar, 24 numbered pockets, a sweet in each Most Advent calendars have 24 doors. Rule a grid of pockets, number them out of order and leave a few open.
  • An elf suit, pointed felt collar, belt band, bell on each point Green body, red zigzag collar and a wide black belt with a square buckle drawn right across the middle.
  • One string of lights from cuff to cuff, plain knit, felt bulbs A single wavy line runs up one arm, across the chest and down the other. Teardrop bulbs in three colours.
  • Santa stuck in a chimney, brick bands, cotton wool cuffs Only two boots and a red seat show above the chimney pot. Brick bands are rows of offset rectangles.
  • The sweater as a wrapped gift, ribbon cross, huge bow One ribbon down the middle, one across the chest and a bow where they meet. Hang a gift tag from one cuff.
  • The whole sweater as a tree, garland swags, star at the neck Green all over. Drape three curved garlands across the front, dot baubles between them, star under the collar.
  • You wearing this very sweater, plain bands, googly eyes A picture inside a picture. Draw yourself in the sweater, then the sweater on that sweater, and stop at three.

Classic knit 20

  • A band of vintage skiers, mountain zigzags, bobble zip pull Tiny skiers all leaning the same way, poles back. One zigzag line under them is the mountain range.
  • A Fair Isle yoke of OXO bands, five colours, ribbed neck Named after one of the Shetland Islands. Traditional rows use two colours each, from a palette of about five.
  • A lusekofte, scattered single stitches, silver clasps A Norwegian sweater whose name means lice jacket, after its lone dark stitches. Clasps close the front.
  • A reindeer cardigan, toggle buttons, patterned button band A cardigan opens down the front, so split the design in two. One reindeer each side, both facing in.
  • A robin on a holly branch, one chest panel, plain bands Big single pictures are knitted as intarsia, where blocks of colour fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.
  • A roll neck, one star band across the chest, no extras A roll neck is the more traditional take on a Christmas jumper. Tall folded collar, one band, nothing else.
  • A round yoke of pattern rings, plain body, ribbed edges Rings of pattern circle the neck like ripples in a pond. Make each ring wider than the one inside it.
  • A row of fir trees round the chest, snow dot bands, ribbed hem Each tree is a stack of three zigzag tiers. Bend the row gently so the band curves round the body.
  • A selburose across the chest, small star bands, plain trim The selburose is a knitted rose in the shape of an eight-pointed star, linked with Selbu in Norway.
  • A sleigh and reindeer silhouette, star bands, dark plain knit One flat pale shape on a night-blue sweater, climbing from one side seam towards the far shoulder.
  • A sweater vest, one band of trees, ribbed armholes No sleeves, so the outline is quick. Ribbing, short parallel lines, goes round the armholes as well as the hem.
  • A village along the hem, lit windows, falling snow above Rooftops of different heights stand on the hem ribbing. Yellow squares for windows, white dots up to the chest.
  • All-over snowflakes, plain stripes at cuff and hem, no trim Knitted flakes are built from small squares, so every arm steps. Scatter three sizes and run some off the edge.
  • Cream cable knit, rope twists down the front, a holly brooch A cable that always crosses the same way looks like rope. Draw two lines swapping sides at even steps.
  • Gingerbread people holding hands, candy stripe bands, red cuffs Draw one figure, then repeat it with the hands touching, like a paper chain that wraps right round.
  • Hearts and snowflakes in alternate stripes, scalloped trim Rule even stripes first. One motif per stripe, all the same width, is what makes it look knitted.
  • Mittens and stockings taking turns, dotted bands, ribbed hem Two small motifs swapped along each row. Shift the next row half a step so they sit like bricks.
  • Nutcracker soldiers in a row, drum bands, gold braid trim Tall hats, square jaws, arms straight down. Alternate two jacket colours along the row.
  • Red and green argyle diamonds, thin crossing lines, tiny bells Argyle is solid diamonds with thin diagonal lines laid over them. Rule the diamonds first, then the lines.
  • Two reindeer facing each other, snowflake bands, ribbed cuffs Knitting charts look like pixel pictures, so plan the pair on squared paper. Mirror one reindeer to get the other.

Punny 20

  • Bah hum-pug, a grumpy pug in a Santa hat, bone bands Flat face, wrinkled brow, mouth turned firmly down. Let the hat slip over one eye.
  • Beary Christmas, a polar bear in a bobble hat, fish bands A polar bear is a big pear shape with small round ears. Leave it white and outline it in pale blue.
  • Bee merry, a bee in a Santa hat, honeycomb bands An oval with two stripes, two loop wings and a hat. Honeycomb is rows of hexagons that share their sides.
  • Believe in your elf, an elf at a mirror, star bands The elf points at its reflection and the reflection points back. A mirror is an oval with two slanted shine lines.
  • Chill out, a penguin in sunglasses, ice cube bands An egg body with a white front, two flippers and a wide pair of shades. Ice cubes are tilted squares.
  • Donut open till Christmas, a doughnut gift, sprinkle bands A ring with wavy icing and a ribbon tied through the hole. Sprinkles are short dashes in every direction.
  • Fa la la llama, a llama in a scarf, tassel trim Long neck, banana-shaped ears, fluffy fringe. Each tassel on the hem is a knot with a fan of lines below.
  • Fleece Navidad, a woolly sheep, cotton wool trim A cloud with a face and four stick legs. Cotton wool trim is drawn as a line of overlapping bumps.
  • Happy Howlidays, a dog singing at the moon, bone bands Head tipped right back, mouth a small O, scarf trailing. A full moon behind keeps the outline clear.
  • Let it dough, a rolling pin and cutters, flour dot bands A rolling pin is a long cylinder with a handle at each end. Star and tree cutters are outlines only.
  • Meowy Christmas, a cat in a gift box, paw print bands Just ears, eyes and two paws over the edge of the box, with tissue paper sticking up behind.
  • Merry Christmoose, a moose hung with baubles, antler bands Most adult male moose have broad antlers shaped like an open hand, which leaves plenty of room for baubles.
  • Oh deer, a reindeer knotted in lights, bulb bands Wrap the string round the antlers and legs with the plug trailing off the hem. One worried eyebrow.
  • Oh snap, a gingerbread person with a broken leg, icing bands One leg lies beside the body with crumbs in between. The mouth is a small round O of surprise.
  • Sleigh all day, a sleigh in sunglasses, runner-curl bands A sleigh side-on is a curled runner under a scooped box. Repeat the runner curl to make the border.
  • Slow ho ho, a sloth hanging from the collar, vine bands Hang the sloth from the neckline by two long arms so it dangles over the chest. Sleepy smile, Santa hat.
  • Snow place like home, a snowman at an igloo door, flake bands An igloo is a dome of curved brick rows with an arched tunnel for a door. Put a doormat outside.
  • Tree Rex, a dinosaur wrapped in lights, footprint bands The tiny arms cannot reach the top of the tree, which is the joke. Balance the star on its nose instead.
  • Tree-mendous, a tree flexing its branches, star bands Two branches bent up like arms showing off muscles. Letter the word in block capitals under the pot.
  • Up to snow good, a snowman hiding a snowball, snowball bands Draw it side-on so the snowball behind its back shows. One raised coal eyebrow does the rest.

How it works

Every one of these ugly sweater drawing ideas is a recipe: a motif for the chest, a pattern for the bands and a trim to finish, with a drawing hint. There are 60. Deal three, then pick a group. Draw your own sweater shape, or print our blank sweater outline.

Read the full guide

How to draw an ugly sweater from a recipe

Draw the sweater first: a wide T with sloping shoulders, then short parallel lines at the neck, cuffs and hem for the ribbing. Rule two or three bands across the chest and sleeves, and curve them a little so they wrap round the body. The motif goes in the biggest gap. Trim comes last: a pom-pom is a circle of short strokes.

Christmas sweater drawing ideas that look knitted

The Classic knit group holds 20 Christmas sweater drawing ideas borrowed from real knitting. Plan the motif on squared paper, because knitted curves move in steps. A Fair Isle yoke of OXO bands, five colours, ribbed neck keeps the traditional rule of two colours in any one row. For texture, fill a band with small stacked V shapes, which read as stitches.

  • Ugly means overloaded. Tinsel, reindeer and sparkles are the embellishments said to earn the name, so when a design looks finished, add one more trim.
  • For a class contest, print one blank outline each, deal everyone a different recipe and allow ten minutes. Vote for funniest, most knitted and best pun.
  • A pun needs lettering. Count the letters, put the middle one at the centre of the bottom band and work outwards in block capitals.

Questions and answers

What makes a Christmas sweater ugly?

Too much of everything. The Christmas jumper picked up the ugly sweater name through over-the-top designs. On paper that means a loud motif, at least two pattern bands in clashing colours and something that sticks out, like a bobble nose, stuffed antlers or a jingle bell hem. The Funny group has 20 built that way, and the Easy group has 16 with plainer bands.

Where did ugly sweater parties start?

The party trend emerged in North America in the early 2000s, and the first is said to have been held in 2002 in Coquitlam, British Columbia. In the UK the jumpers were already popular in the 1980s after television presenters wore them.

Is there a printable ugly sweater template?

Yes. The blank sweater outline is a plain front view with ribbing at the neck, cuffs and hem and nothing else on it. Print it, deal a recipe and draw straight on.

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