Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest: Rules and Awards
Plan a fun ugly Christmas sweater contest with easy voting rules, award ideas and tips. Perfect for family, friends and work parties of any size.
What You Need
An ugly Christmas sweater contest is a friendly competition where guests wear their silliest holiday sweaters and vote on the best ones. It is great for family gatherings, friend parties and offices.
How to Set Up
- Invite guests to wear or bring an ugly Christmas sweater. Share the date and a few award ideas ahead of time.
- Make a list of award categories.
- Put out a bowl and voting slips.
- Choose a spot where everyone can show off their sweaters.
- Pick a host to announce winners.
How to Play
- When guests arrive, give each one a number or name tag.
- Hold a short “runway walk.” Each person walks a few steps, spins and shows off their sweater.
- Give everyone a voting slip.
- Guests write the name or number of their pick for each category. They cannot vote for themselves.
- Collect the slips in a bowl.
- The host counts the votes.
- Announce each winner and give out the awards.
Scoring and Winning
The person with the most votes in each category wins. Make small awards, like a bag of candy, a paper crown or a ribbon. Everyone should get at least a funny mention.
Tips for a Fun Game
- Take photos of each person with their sweater.
- Add a “best story” award for the sweater with the best tale behind it.
- Tell guests to bring a backup sweater if they worry they will forget.
- Keep awards friendly and kind.
- Have extra safety pins and tape for repairs.
Variations
- Make-Your-Own: Give each guest a plain sweatshirt and craft supplies at the party.
- Pet Edition: Add a vote for the best-dressed pet.
- Little Kids Version: Skip voting. Give every child a sticker for their favorite part of their sweater.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you judge an ugly Christmas sweater contest?
Use group voting. Each guest writes down their pick on a slip and the most votes win. You can also have a panel of judges.
What categories can we use?
Try ugliest, funniest, most lights, most creative and best homemade. Add your own for fun.
Can I make an ugly sweater at home?
Yes. Add tinsel, pom-poms, ribbon or felt shapes to an old sweater with fabric glue or safety pins.
