Ideas for · 2 min read · updated

Ugly sweater party ideas

Everyone shows up in a store-bought reindeer. You show up with your dog's face knitted across your chest, and the dog wears the matching one.

The short answer

Knit your pet's (or the host's) face into a real holiday sweater in four loud yarns, and get the matching knitted pet sweater so the dog comes as your plus one. Knitting takes longer than printing, so plan around the holiday cut-off.

The picks

  1. A dog wearing a red knitted sweater with a golden retriever's face and Merry Woofmas knitted on the front, made with Ugly Sweater
    Knits

    Ugly Sweater

    Your pet's face knitted into a real crew neck sweater in four yarns, with themes from Fair Isle to Maximum tacky, and a matching knitted pet sweater and beanie.

    Makes: Knit sweater, pet sweater, beanie

  2. A yellow fleece throw covered in a golden retriever wearing a crown and bow tie, made with Good Boy Wallpaper
    Walls & mugs

    Good Boy Wallpaper

    Your pet in a party hat or crown, repeated over socks, or a fleece throw for the couch where everyone ends up.

    Makes: Throw, bandana, socks, all-over tee

  3. A mug with a Greek black-figure band of men laughing at a burning barbecue, made with The Frieze
    Walls & mugs

    The Frieze

    Wrapping paper, 30 x 36 in, with the group chat's worst moment painted around a Greek vase in black figures. People will stop to read it before they tear it.

    Makes: Mug, tumbler, tee or wrapping paper

  4. A jigsaw puzzle of a crowded wedding party with a missing person case card in the corner, made with Find Dave
    Puzzles & flags

    Find Dave

    Hide the host in the ski lodge scene, by the giant snowman or the fire pit, and leave the puzzle out on the coffee table.

    Makes: Jigsaw puzzle

  5. A hot dog shaped pillow with a white edge, made with Big Snack
    Pillows

    Big Snack

    For the gift swap: a holiday food as one giant pillow, cut and sewn along its outline.

    Makes: Shaped pillow, stickers, magnets

Mind the cut-off

A knitted sweater is made to order on a knitting machine, which takes longer than printing a shirt. Ugly Sweater shows an honest holiday cut-off: for Christmas 2026 it's order by Wednesday, November 18 to arrive by December 23, once ordering is open. Later orders still get made, they just arrive after the party.

How tacky to go

The host's face is the power move. It needs a photo and, ideally, their blessing.

  • Fair Isle: bands of pattern, a row of motifs, reindeer and a tree. Passes for a real holiday sweater from across the room.
  • Maximum tacky: snowflakes, trees, reindeer, stars or hearts on a lattice around the face, plus two lines of words like MERRY / WOOFMAS.
  • Portrait: the face, enormous, and not much else.

For the rest of the party

  • The gift swap: a giant pillow of a holiday food, like a gingerbread cookie, from Big Snack.
  • The wrapping: The Frieze prints 30 x 36 in sheets of wrapping paper with your group chat painted on a Greek vase.
  • The party game: a Find Dave puzzle with the host hidden at the ski lodge, near the cocoa stand.

Questions people ask

When do I need to order a custom ugly sweater for Christmas?

Ugly Sweater's cut-off for Christmas 2026 is November 18 to arrive by December 23, once ordering is open. Knitting takes longer than printing, so it's earlier than you'd expect.

Can I get a matching sweater for my dog?

Yes. The same design knits a pet sweater, with the face on the dog's back, and a beanie.

Is it a real knit or a print?

A real knit. Every stitch is one of four yarns, which is why it looks properly ugly.