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DIY Light-Up Christmas Sweater: How to Make Your Own Festive Jumper

A woman wearing a santa hat and holding wrapping paper

We received many requests for tacky Christmas sweaters, so here it is: a crochet Christmas lights sweater you can make at home. We partnered with Commonthread by DMC to create a playful, wearable ugly sweater that’s festive without being over-the-top — perfect for holiday parties or casual winter wear.

A sweater with christmas lights on it

DMC Woolly Merino Wool yarn comes in 48 colors, which makes it easy to pick cheerful shades for the bulbs. We selected a mix that feels festive but slightly different from the classic red, green, and blue — though you can absolutely stick to the traditional palette if you prefer.

A white sweater, yarn, and scissors

Supplies:

  • Sweater (plain, light-colored works best)
  • DMC Woolly Merino Wool yarn in 4–5 colors for bulbs
  • DMC Nordic Spirit yarn, size 6, for the bulb bases
  • Crochet hooks: 4.5 mm and 9 mm
  • Cotton batting for stuffing
  • Black embroidery thread
  • Plastic yarn needle
  • Pins
  • Scissors

Someone sewing something Someone sewing something

Someone sewing an item Someone sewing an orange item

Someone sewing something orange Someone sewing something orange

A string with an orange item on it and scissors A black sewn string

Someone sewing black on white Black yarn on a white sweater

Someone sewing a pink item on a white sweater Someone cutting black yarn

Pattern for Colored Bulbs:

Ch 2.
Round 1: Starting in the second ch from the hook, 4 sc. Do not join.
Round 2: 2 sc in each sc around (total 8 sc).
Round 3: Sc in each sc around (8 sc).
Round 4: Sc in the next sc, 2 sc in the next sc — repeat around.
Rounds 5–6: Sc in each sc around.
Round 7: Sc in the next sc, 2 sc in the next sc — repeat around.
Rounds 8–9: Sc in the next sc, sc2tog — repeat around.

Stuff the bulb end with cotton batting.

Round 10: Switch to black yarn. Sc in each sc around.
Round 11: Sc in each sc around.
Round 12: Sc2tog around, join with a sl st, and bind off.

Make as many bulbs as you like. We recommend at least 10 bulbs for the front, 10 for the back, and 5 for each sleeve — about 30 bulbs total for a full look.

Making the Bulb String:

With thick black yarn, chain until you reach a length that allows for playful twists and turns across your sweater. This will be the base “cord” that the bulbs hang from.

Assembly:

  1. Lay the sweater flat and play with the placement of the black cord until you’re happy with the arrangement. Pin it in place.
  2. Use black embroidery thread to stitch the chain onto the sweater securely. You can stitch along the edges of the chain so it lies flat and follows your chosen design.
  3. Attach bulbs in one of two ways: sew them on with black embroidery thread while sewing the string, or use the tail at the top of each bulb to crochet it directly onto the chain. Both methods hold well — choose whichever you prefer.
  4. Weave in and secure any loose ends, trim threads, and check that all bulbs are firmly attached.

DIY Christmas Lights | studiodiy.com

Someone holding wrapping paper

A christmas light sweater

Someone wearing a christmas light sweater

Photos by Jeff Mindell

Will you wear this to an ugly sweater party or a cookie swap this season? It’s a fun conversation piece and easy to customize, so you can adapt the colors, number of bulbs, and placement to suit your style.

This post was created in partnership with Commonthread by DMC. All content and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that help keep this site going.