Festive Ugly Beaded Sweater and Star Earrings

Are you preparing for an ugly party or want to surprise your family with an ugly sweater? Well then, let's make one. What could be ugly? A lot of shine! Then let's use a lot of beads. What can be shown on a sweater for Christmas? Christmas tree! Then let's make a Christmas tree out of beads. But it will not be only beads sewn to a sweater. These will be beads in organza. It looks unusual. And to add shine, we will make a shiny star on this Christmas tree and shiny star earrings from hot glue and sparkles (it will be inexpensive). Let’s add more beads and you'll be the brightest at the party in your ugly sweater and earrings!

P.S. I'm tired of fighting with sites that steal my instructables regardless of the license (which is indicated in the upper left corner). Sorry but I decided to add attribution to my photos. I know it looks a little annoying, but it annoys me even more to see my works under someone else's authorship or for sale.

You need:

a sweater - I used a cream monochromatic sweater with neck,

green organza (piece of fabric or ribbon 8 cm wide cm and 6 m long),

yellow and red 8 mm beads - 3 + 3 m (to make the Christmas tree),

red 6 mm beads - 6 m (for decorating the star earrings and sweater),

yellow garland or sparkles,

fishing line,

hot glue,

2 pieces of yellow 1 mm wire 1,5 cm long (to make mounts on earrings),

green threads (the same color as the organza),

white thread (the same color as a sweater),

needle,

scissors,

a candle and matches or a lighter (to scorch the edges of organza),

a ruler,

a black felt-tip pen,

a pencil,

2 sheets of paper,

a piece of board,

nails 2 cm long,

a hammer,

pliers,

a knife,

sandpaper,

plastic folder.

To make a Christmas tree, you need 8 cm wide organza strips. If you use a piece of fabric like me, cut it into strips. To do this, first make markings on the fabric: place a sheet of white paper under the organza and use a felt-tip pen and a ruler to mark a distance of 8 cm on the fabric, then cut the fabric into strips, guided by the marks.

Singe a bit of the edge of the organza strips with a lighted candle: swipe the edge of the strips quickly near the candle flame, be careful not to burn the fabric.

Fold the organza strip in half lengthwise, insert the red big beads inside. Sew the first bead to the beginning of the strip. Then sew the edges of the fabric, pulling together a little fabric to form a frill (photo).

When the first strip of organza is over, sew the following stripes.

When the red beads end, do the same using the yellow beads. If necessary, scorch the edge of the fabric again with a candle.

Lay the sweater on a flat hard surface (on the table) face up. Mark with pins the middle of the sweater and the place where the Christmas tree will be.

Put a plastic folder or cardboard inside the sweater and sew using green threads the first organza strip with red beads to the bottom edge of the sweater. Since the sweater is stretched, so do the stitches a short distance, fasten each stitch with a knot, and leave the thread between the stitches a bit loose (photo).

Then sew a strip of yellow beads. Alternate rows with red and yellow beads, stepping back from the edge a little to get the shape of a Christmas tree. I got a Christmas tree 33 cm wide and 43 cm high.

Make sparkles from a garland: cut with scissors.

Make a five-pointed star template from paper (photo).

Draw a five-pointed star on the board using the template. Check that the distance from the center to the end of rays is 4 cm, to the bends - 2 cm.

Drive nails along the edges of the star. Drive an additional nail at the top to make a loop for the future star.

Tie a fishing line to the top nail of the star.

Then wrap the fishing line around the additional nail to form a loop. Then form the edges of the star from the fishing line, then the middle like on photos.

When you finish wrapping the fishing line, tie it to another nail and nail it on the side of the star. Check that the wound fishing line does not touch the wood (move it a bit away).

Put a little hot glue on the edge of the star’s ray (near the nail), quickly sprinkle with the prepared sparkles, press them and form a corner of the ray. Do the same with the rest of the rays.

Do the same near other nails. You need to fix the fishing line with hot glue.

Then apply in the same way in several places in the middle of the star.

Allow the glue to solidify. Pull out the nails using pliers.

If necessary, use a knife to separate the star from the board (if hot glue has stuck to the board).

Using scissors cut off the end of the fishing line, excess glue, excess sparkles.

Glue the edges of the rays with hot glue and sparkles to hide the holes from the nails. Do not cover the loop. Glue sparkles on the back side of the star.

Make the second star in the same way for the second earring, but wind the fishing line in the mirror direction.

Cut 20 beads from the red 6 mm bead string. Cut out the remaining thread from beads. Decorate the stars with beads by gluing them with hot glue: 6 beads on the front side, 3 beads on the back side of each earring.

Using the small nail heated on the candle, make small holes in the remaining 2 beads. Then also heat the end of the wires and insert them into the holes, press firmly and check that they are well fixed. If poorly fixed, repeat heating / glue. Using sandpaper, make the opposite end of the wire rounded.

Making clips: cut two pieces from the hot glue stick. Using a nail, make holes in them corresponding to the diameter of the wire.

Insert the wire with beads into the loops of the stars (I did not stick loops to the beads so that the earrings would stagger better). Put on the clips from hot glue. Disinfect the mount on the earrings. The big (8 cm) ugly star earrings are ready!

Make another star from hot glue and fishing line as in the previous step. Do not decorate the back side of the star.

Sew this star near the top of the Christmas tree with white thread.

It's time to decorate you and your Christmas tree with the remaining red beads (with small diameter). Wrap the beads several times and fix on the shoulders of sweater, sewing with thread. The ugly sweater is ready!

Oh yes, your ugly sweater and earrings are ready, and you are ready for an ugly party. You will not only shine, but also ring a little bit with beads. I would advise you to wear only one earring, but if you want to look very ugly, then wear two earrings. Have fun and don't confuse a regular party with an ugly party.

Merry Christmas to all! :)