Let's Make a Christmas Sweater Ornament
Christmas sweater ornament
by Elizabeth Lucero
I love a good holiday sweater
Probably because I’m a maximalist, and ugly sweaters are all about decoration. Intricate patterns? Yes! Glitter? Sure! Unnecessary spangly add-ons? Why not!? This ornament project embraces that more-is-more ethos, with one very important additional benefit: It’s easy.
The holiday sweater ornament is one of my favorites because it’s that rare intersection of low effort, high reward. These are quick and easy to make and so fun to decorate! They’ve got the charm of a gingerbread house with none of the construction woes. There’s none of the tricky “Will this adorable candy decoration slide off my roof the moment I look away?”
Gather Your Materials
- Felt (of any color)
- Hot glue gun
- Piece of scrap paper
- Thin piece of silver or gold wire (about 8 inches long)
- Round nose pliers (optional; these help in bending the wire but are not essential)
- Scissors
- Chalk, a soft pencil, or a marker (I use a HB pencil in the pictures, but chalk works even better)
- Assorted decorations (glitter glue, sequins, plastic gems, beads, other fabric scraps, whatever you want!)
Shop Craft Supplies
Step 1: Cut Out Your Sweater
Draw an outline of your sweater on a piece of scrap paper (or use the template), and cut it out.
Place your sweater cut-out on top of the felt. Outline your pattern using chalk (or a pencil or marker). Then, flip your cut-out over and make another outline on the felt. Cut them out. These will be the front and back of your sweater.
Step 2: Make Your Hanger
Bend your piece of wire into the shape of a hanger, starting with the curve at the top and ending with a twist around the neck of the hanger. Cut off any excess wire.
Step 3: Glue Together
With the back piece of your sweater face-down (you should see the outline of the chalk; it will get covered), place your hanger where you want it to sit. Then, cover the inside of the sweater with hot glue, making sure that you get glue on and around the hanger. Quickly place the front piece of your sweater (with the outline facing down so you won’t see it in the finished product) over the glue and press down. You can trim any edges that may not be perfectly aligned. Usually these are places where you can see your outline.
Step 4: Decorate!
You can really go as crazy as you want here! Keep adding until you feel like your sweater is done.
As you can see, I didn’t use all the decorations I put out for myself. I never go into this craft with a plan. I just gather a variety of decorations and see where it takes me!
Elizabeth Lucero
Liz is a small business owner who spends her free time making colorful things, running book clubs, and shopping entirely too much. You can join a book club and browse the fruits of her shopping habit at her store Perdita.
