DIY Ugly Halloween Sweaters

Do you have a hard time deciding what to wear for Halloween like I do? You don’t want to be a bump on a log, but don’t want to dress up either? Well, today’s project is the perfect remedy! I’m sharing a DIY Ugly Halloween Sweater Tutorial, because why should Christmas get all the fun?! You can find all the supplies for this project at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, who sponsored this tutorial!

Jo-Ann has an amazing selection of Halloween décor, and the options for Ugly Halloween Sweaters are endless!

I had a fun time combining decorations, trims, and even lights to decorate our sweaters with!

I made 4 sweaters, and will share the details on how I made each one. I recommend always starting with the main focus of each sweater (for example, the pompom “BOO” on my sweater), and then adding the extras to complete the looks!

And if you’re looking to add some fun trick or treating bags to your Halloween projects this year, our free pattern will have you covered! For an easy and cute Halloween decor project, our DIY Dollar Tree Halloween Gnomes tutorial might be just what you’re looking for.

DIY Last Minute Halloween Costumes

BOO Sweater Supplies:
solid color sweatshirt (available in your local Jo-Ann store)
pom-pom maker (2.5” diameter)
yarn
pumpkin LED string lights
skeleton
glue gun and glue sticks
scrap fabric (if making pocket for battery pack)
scissors
chalk or disappearing ink pen

  1. Use pom-pom maker to create enough pom-poms to spell “BOO” on the front of your sweatshirt. Use gluegun to secure pom-poms in place. 
  2. To add lights, first lay out string of lights as desired on sweatshirt. Use chalk to make placement of lights. Remember the battery pack when you’re deciding on placement – you can hold it in a pocket or make a pocket in the sweatshirt as I describe below. 
  3. Make a small slit (1/4” – remember the fabric will stretch!) at each mark. Turn sweatshirt inside out and push one pumpkin light through each slit, with just the pumpkin visible on the right side of the sweatshirt. 
  4. From inside of sweatshirt, surround opening and back of each LED light with hot glue, securing in place. 
  5. To make pocket for battery pack, cut a rectangle of scrap fabric 2” larger than batter pack on each side. Glue each edge toward wrong side and then glue side and bottom edges to back of sweatshirt near bottom band. 
  6. Trim hang string from skeleton and hot glue upper legs to shoulder (it’s helpful to try sweater on to determine best placement). 

Eyeball Sweater Supplies:
solid color sweatshirt (available in your local Jo-Ann store)
large eyeball (found in your local Jo-Ann store)
ghost LED string lights
ribbon
skeleton spider
glue gun and glue sticks
eyeball ornaments (found in your local Jo-Ann store)
Halloween foam stickers (found in your local Jo-Ann store)
Halloween spray (with foam candy corn attached – found in your local Jo-Ann store)
scrap fabric (if making pocket for battery pack)
scissors
hand sewing needle and upholstery thread or yarn
chalk or disappearing ink pen

  1. Begin by using hot glue to attach eyeball to center front of sweatshirt. 
  2. Lay ghost LED lights near bottom of sweatshirt and mark placement of each light (the length was perfect to wrap around the front and back on this youth size S sweatshirt). 
  3. Make a small slit (3/8” – remember the fabric will stretch!) at each mark. Turn sweatshirt inside out and push one ghost light through each slit, with just the ghost visible on the right side of the sweatshirt. From the inside of sweatshirt, surround opening and back of each light with hot glue, securing in place. 
  4. To cover holes, use hot glue and ribbon to attach trim above LED lights (the holes will be stretched out a bit after getting the lights through). 
  5. Place and evenly mark eyeball ornaments along each sleeve seam. Use hand needle and upholstery thread or yarn to tie each ornament in place. (IMG_0130edit630.jpg)
  6. Use hot glue to add bat foam stickers and candy corn as neckline trim. Use hot glue to secure skeleton spider near eyeball.

Bow Sweater Supplies:
solid color sweatshirt (available in your local Jo-Ann store)
Halloween bows (found here and here) – enough to cover front of sweatshirt
ribbon
glue gun and glue sticks
Halloween bells
owl
scissors
chalk or disappearing ink pen

  1. Place bows on sweatshirt as desired (optional: trim bow tails – on an adult sweatshirt this wouldn’t likely be necessary, but was for my 3 year old’s sweatshirt) and hot glue in place. 
  2. Use ruler and chalk to make vertical line on each side of bows. Hot glue ribbon on marked lines. 
  3. Hot glue bells evenly on each ribbon and on sleeves. 
  4. Hot glue owl to one shoulder. 

Halloween Scene/Bat Wing Sweater Supplies:
solid color sweatshirt (available in your local Jo-Ann store)
Cricut machine (I use the Explore Air 2)
Cricut Iron-on – black and orange
Cricut Design Space Ugly Halloween Sweaters project  – can be accessed HERE for your own use
small Halloween pom-poms (found in your local Jo-Ann store)
black felt – 1/2yd
glue gun and glue sticks
scissors
chalk

  1. Use Cricut Design Space project to cut iron-on tree, cat, bat, pumpkin, and moon pieces.
    Remove negative iron-on and place first layer (tree) onto sweatshirt front. Cover with a press cloth and press with hot iron (cotton or linen setting, no steam) for 30 seconds to adhere iron-on. Remove plastic covering and repeat to add bats, pumpkins, moon, and cat.  DIY Ugly Halloween Sweater Tutorial DIY Ugly Halloween Sweater Tutorial
  2. Hot glue pom-poms to ends of branches as desired. 
  3. To make bat wings, lay sweater over felt with sleeves outstretched from sweatshirt body. Trace along sleeve and body side seams, and then draw scallops angled between the two hems. 
  4. Cut along chalk lines and trace to create a matching wing. 
  5. Use a row of hot glue along side and sleeve seams to attach each wing to each side of sweatshirt. 

Great job! Now put on your sweater and you’ll be the hit of your next Halloween party!

 

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