9 Awesome Ugly Sweater Party Ideas (2024)

Looking for some unique and fun ugly sweater party ideas to revitalize the trend this holiday season? At Peerspace, we get it. The Christmas sweaters of the 1980s have become holiday icons — they even inspire parties and merchandise! An “ugly sweater party” usually just means a regular ol’ party where everyone happens to show up in the most obnoxious Christmas, Hanukkah, or winter-themed sweaters they can find.

But that doesn’t mean your ugly sweater party has to be boring or unoriginal. With the right event space to host your party and some fun party ideas, you can make yours unique and memorable, whether for an office party or one with family and friends. Here are ugly sweater party ideas that will take this classic winter party to the next level.

1. Party in the perfect holiday party venue through Peerspace

At Peerspace, we provide you with more than ugly sweater party ideas. As the largest online marketplace for hourly venue rentals, we also offer you access to some of the most epic hidden gem event venues in your city.

So even if you don’t have the perfect party house, that doesn’t have to stop you from hosting the best party of the year. We can help you find a cozy venue with all the amenities you need to bring these ugly sweater party ideas to life (and one lovely enough to contrast with all of the ugly sweaters flocking through the door!).

Here are some of our favorites:

• This stunning luxury event loft in Toronto, ON (pictured above) with space for 60 guests, an open floor plan, beautiful decor, and tables and chairs.
• This stunning two-level luxury loft in Atlanta, HA with space for 100 guests, a full kitchen, a jumbo flower wall for selfies, a balcony, and seating.
• This iconic and versatile event space in San Francisco, CA with space for 225 guests, a full bar, flexible seating, an A/V system, and optional catering.
• This large multi-functional event space in London, UK with space for 120 guests, super high ceilings, plenty of mingling spaces, A/V equipment, and a private outdoor space.
• This beautiful BYOB event space in Chicago, IL with space for 80 guests, an open floor plan, a kitchen, tables, chairs, and speakers.

You get the ideas! With Peerspace, you can book incredible spaces in cities across the globe. Find a space with a fireplace, kitchen, couches, and cozy rugs for a home-sweet-home feel. Impress your guests by hosting the party in a spacious loft, mansion, historic home, cafe, or vibrant bar. Whatever you decide, you can be sure your ugly sweater party will be a true one-of-a-kind event.

2. Decorate your own ugly sweaters for a fun party activity

Instead of sending everyone out on their own to find the world’s corniest sweater, why not create some masterpieces together? Ask everyone to show up in plain, solid-colored sweaters (Savers, Goodwill, and Old Navy are great places to find some) and request that they also bring decorating materials like felt, pompoms, dolls, random plastic toys, tinsel, pipe cleaners, patches, pins, and whatever else you can attach to a festive sweater.

Then make sure you provide glue, sewing supplies for the serious crafters, and an iron and an ironing board. This crafting session may get messy, so make sure you have table covers and a floor area you don’t mind vacuuming later. 

You can always book an actual art studio and workshop space that provides the space and equipment needed for your ugly Christmas sweater-making party, like this creative art studio in Queens, NY! It provides you with plenty of tables and chairs and A/V equipment, as well as fun and optional add-on services.

This is one of those ugly sweater party ideas that combines activity and gift in one! After all, your guests can take their ugly sweater creations home with them after the party. You probably don’t want all those sweaters clogging up your closet!

Check out our non-traditional Christmas dinner ideas and start planning your party menu!

3. Host an ugly sweater fashion show

The ugly sweaters don’t have to be just a small party feature — they can be the central theme! Set up a runway (you can buy a red carpet from Oriental Trading) and host a fashion show! Have each “model” choose a song to walk to and offer prizes for the best sweater and the best model.

For affordable prizes, check out the Target Dollar Spot for candles, holiday decor, or holiday socks. Or, purchase some classic Christmas sweets to gift!

4. Set up a hot cocoa or coffee station

Ugly sweater weather calls for warm drinks! Hot cocoa or coffee is the perfect thing to serve to your party guests. Don’t forget the whipped cream (which comes in different flavors and non-dairy options!) mini marshmallows, snowflake marshmallow cutouts, sprinkles, cinnamon sticks, cookie straws, and festive syrups like peppermint, gingerbread, and caramel.

Gather up or buy a set of the most Christmas-y mugs (or ask everyone to bring their own favorite mug). If you don’t have a Keurig for making single-serve Swiss Miss, you can make a large batch of hot cocoa using a crockpot. For a decadent hot cocoa bar, check out this how-to guide.

5. Pour Christmas cocktails at an on-theme watering hole

The tree isn’t the only thing that will be lit at your party. Get in the holiday spirit with festive spirits. Think sangria, hot cider, and mulled wine; ditch regular old eggnog for eggnog coladas. For an extensive list of decadent drink recipes, check out this Delish slideshow. Serve the drinks in holiday-themed stemless wine glasses and get paper straws for extra flair.

Want to host this idea at a unique bar space? Then rely on Peerspace to connect you with the best bars and lounges in your metro! If you’re in Chicago, you pretty much HAVE TO book a few hours at this incredible Christmas-themed bar in Wrigley, aptly named Ugly Sweater Bar! The venue serves as a year-round tribute to ugly Christmas sweaters, so needless to say, would totally dig your party’s theme, and can whip up endless tasty cocktails for you and your thirsty partygoers.

6. Lay out yummy appetizers and desserts

It’s not a party without snacks and sweets. Serve festive appetizers at your ugly sweater party, like cheese and Ritz snowflake crackers, a colorful fruit-and-veggie plate filled with red and green fruits and vegetables (e.g. strawberries, green grapes, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber slices), puff pastry bites, or bruschetta. No time to make your own snacks? The frozen section of Trader Joe’s is packed with appetizers you can just pop in the oven.

For the dessert table, set up a self-serve dessert bar featuring mini pies, sugar cookies, whoopie pies, cake pops, snowy brownies (brownies dusted with powdered sugar), mini Bundt cakes, Christmas cracker candy, red velvet everything, cupcakes, peppermint bark, peanut brittle, and toffee. Buy a stack of festive paper plates and use cake stands, colorful platters, and trays to display everything.

A chocolate fondue fountain with fruit and angel food cake bites or a s’mores bar could be another perfect winter dessert station option as well. You can find inexpensive fondue or an indoor s’mores maker online or at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. For fancy s’mores, buy various graham cracker flavors (including cinnamon and chocolate-flavored crackers), colorful marshmallows, and different kinds of chocolate bars. Make sure you have a good balance of sweet and savory. This will both prevent sugar crashes and ensure everyone has a solid base for cocktails!

What’s like an Airbnb for Christmas parties? We tackle that very subject here!

7. Make the perfect party playlist

It’s just not a holiday party without the festive music! Set the mood for your ugly sweater party by curating the perfect Christmas playlist with the classics and the latest Christmas albums. Stumped on what songs to include? Then check out this list for the ultimate playlist or check out Spotify’s premade ones.

8. Play your favorite holiday movies

Get everyone in the holiday mood with classic Christmas movies like A Christmas Story, Miracle on 34th Street, The Santa Claus(e), Elf, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Love Actually, A Christmas Carol, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Jim Carrey live-action, of course), Home Alone, The Holiday, The Polar Express, Christmas with the Kranks, and It’s A Wonderful Life. 

Or, if you are a little unconventional, you can go with Die Hard, The Nightmare Before Christmas, or Edward Scissorhands. You can even book a beautiful private movie theater through Peerspace to enjoy the thrills with your closest people.

One of our favorite suggestions is this Best Kept Secret in Brooklyn, NY screening room. The theater room is kitted out with a 4K Enhanced Projection, a 160″ screen, surround sound, and a 12′ stage along with seating for 70 guests. Just don’t forget the popcorn! The host offers you a cafe add-on that includes a hot, buttery popcorn maker!

For an adults-only ugly sweater party idea, pair the movie marathon with a drinking game! This works best with Hallmark or Hallmark-style Christmas movies (like Netflix originals) that are so ridiculous that it’s hard not to laugh (The Knight Before Christmas and Lindsey Lohan’s comeback vehicle Falling for Christmas are great ones). Come up with rules like take a shot every time someone mentions a small town, magic happens, a plot hole makes things confusing, or another holiday movie cliche occurs. Please play responsibly!

9. Decorate for the occasion

Create an immersive ugly sweater experience by decorating your party venue with the tackiest holiday decor. Think giant red bows and ornaments, vintage snowmen and Santa figurines, wrapping paper wallpaper, and cheap snow globes. Of course, if any of your guests want to give up their ugly Christmas sweater (and have something on beneath it!) you can always pin it to the wall or hang it over the mantle for a meta decoration idea that puts a spin on the classic Christmas stocking and one that your guests are sure to love

Ugly sweater party ideas: conclusion

When everyone is hosting an ugly sweater party this season, these ideas will make your event stand out. Start by booking a private party venue through Peerspace that is as kitschy or as blank-slate as you like, contact the host about catering and/or entertainment options, and then decorate it as you see fit.

Before you know it, you will be pulling on that ugly sweater and pulling off the party of the year! Happy holidays!

Find unique ugly sweater party venues on Peerspace