Level Up Your Ugly Christmas Sweater Party—Dress Up Your Tree, Too

An ironic Christmas sweater is a holiday staple that deserves to be in the spotlight—here’s how to channel the look with your tree decor.

You can't really go wrong with a sleek and subtle monochromatic decor look—there’s a reason minimalist design is so popular. But sometimes, more is more, and this rings especially true during the holiday season. The holidays are all about abundance: an abundance of joy, of love for friends and family, and of playful decorations that only add to the child-like wonder of the season.

We all know and love the ugly Christmas sweater, a festive fashion staple. Now, interior design is catching up to the fan-favorite knit. Put a twist on the maximalist holiday decor trend this season by dressing up your Christmas tree ~literally~ in the style.

Related: Say Goodbye to Beige Holidays—and Embrace the Bright Nostalgia of Christmas Past

This trend focuses on fun—and it flies in defiance of the beautiful, tasteful, and “perfect” holiday decorations that many of us have grown to love. An ugly Christmas sweater is none of those things (ugly is its first name, after all!), but it’s still more than worth the attention.

To create an ugly Christmas sweater tree, you need to go bold and make careful choices to design a tree that looks like a maximalist masterpiece (instead of a mixed-up mess). We spoke to design experts on how to achieve a cute and curated version of the ugly sweater style. Here’s what you need to know about the over-the-top trend.

What is the ugly sweater look, and why is it trending this season?

While they started out as a genuine fashion “don’t,” ugly Christmas sweaters are now a favorite holiday tradition. During a season of stress and pressure, they provide an opportunity to stop taking things too seriously and enjoy the festive spirit. They also bring a retro and cozy vibe that resonates with those looking to create a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere for friends and family.

“Decorating with the ugly sweater theme is all about bringing more to your tree, and balancing cozy traditional colors—reds, greens, blues—with over-the-top accents,” says Lyra Marble, owner of Christmas tree company Mr. Greentrees. “Instead of choosing traditional gold accents for your tree, to make it ugly-sweater, choose multiple tones of gold, or gold and silver.”

Related: 7 Christmas Color Schemes That Will Never Go Out of Style

How to Try This Trend at Home

First and foremost, throw away all the “shoulds” you’ve been sticking to when it comes to decorating. An ugly-sweater-style tree is not about observing strictly-held design rules, but embracing fun (even if the results aren’t considered conventionally beautiful).

To avoid an overwhelming look, don’t get bogged down in the details—start by thinking of the tree as a whole. Eileen Looby Weber, vice president of Lake Forest Flowers, says she uses floral design principles to design curated Christmas trees. By treating the tree like a creative composition, you can add all the elements you’d like without creating an eyesore. She recommends selecting adornments in various sizes, colors, and textures.

You also want your tree to be a seamless part of your overall holiday design: According to Marble, the best way to “incorporate an ugly-sweater tree into overall holiday decor is to use just one or two key elements from your theme in your wreaths and mantlepieces.”

“This will create an overall cozy vibe that ties the look together, but lets your Christmas tree stand out as the star of the show,” she says.

Mad for Plaid

Ugly Christmas sweaters often come in the traditional red and green, plus familiar patterns like plaid. Embracing a print and colors can take your tree over the top without a lot of effort—all you need is a few rolls of plaid ribbons from your local craft store.

Weave the ribbon through the tree or garland as you usually would, or fashion strands to cascade from the top of your tree. Make sure to use a lot of ribbon to achieve the true ugly sweater feel.

It’s also easy to change this style up. Adapt the color scheme to match your interior decor or use knitted scarves instead of ribbons as your plaid material of choice—the more plaid, the better.

Related: Gen Z Is Wrapping Their Christmas Trees Up In Delicate Bows This Year

Winter Wonderland

If you want to use a cooler color palette, bring the winter weather inside with a snow- and ice-themed tree. Marble suggests selecting “colorful giant knit pom-poms mixed with metallic ornaments, icicles, or tinsel” for an icy Christmas look. This aesthetic also provides an opportunity to tap into one of the other biggest tree trends of the season: flocking. Flock your tree for an extra-snowy look, and consider adding woodland creature ornaments to create your very own winter wonderland right at home.

Related: The 81 Best Christmas Gifts of 2023 for Everyone You Know

Dark and Dramatic

Since this is already a maximalist trend, pair it with some of the other tenets of the more-is-more style.

“Another color scheme would include brighter jewel tones with contrasting textures and patterns,” Looby Weber says. “This would include using a variety of shapes and sizes of ornaments in fuchsia, violet, and teal, paired with ostrich or peacock feathers and metallic shredded tinsel.”

'50s Fun

Mid-century modern design is always on trend, but especially right now—why not bring that classic style to your tree? We love the idea of kitschy Americana-inspired ornaments that look like they’ve been passed down in your family for generations (even if you got them from a thrift store yesterday).

Related: How to Master the Cozy Kitsch Decor Trend for Your Coziest Christmas Yet

“I would recommend decorating with large bulb lights such as c9 size to give a vintage look,” Looby Weber says. “Adding metallic tinsel garlands in gold or silver and animal print round orbs would be excellent additions.”

Make a Statement

Turn your tree into a conversation starter by choosing kitschy ornaments decorated with sayings from your favorite Christmas movies. Intersperse them throughout a tree that’s decked out with rainbow-colored lights—you could even have your guests try to guess where the quotes came from. Suggested prize for the winner: an ugly Christmas sweater, of course.

No matter which route you go with the ugly sweater trend though, the most important part is not to worry about what others think.

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” Looby Weber says. “An ugly sweater generally receives a lot of applause, so make it splashy and be proud."

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