DIY Yo-Yo Christmas Sweatshirts

Hi! I’m Casey Chatham from Sew Worthy Mama. I create quilt patterns designed with motherhood in mind. From playful projects that invite the kids to join in or cozy quilts to snuggle up with, my goal is to help moms find joy and creativity in sewing while bringing beauty to their homes and creating new memories and family traditions. (Note: This post features a few recommended items with affiliate links. If you buy supplies through these links, I earn a commission at no additional cost to you.)

I’ve shared a couple yo-yo projects here lately — see my Vintage Yo-Yo Flower Garland and my 7 Handmade Yo-Yo Ornaments Tutorial — and my obsession continues with this new project: Yo-Yo Christmas Sweatshirts…Ugly, Tacky, or Cute!

How many times have you been invited to an ugly Christmas sweater party with friends or at work only to find that the thrift stores have been long-since picked over and what’s left at the department stores is $50 — way more than you’d like to spend on a clothing item you won’t actually be wearing for more than a couple of hours. So you look to Amazon, but guess what? Theirs won’t arrive until December 28th or later…what good will that do you?

So, what can you do? DIY, of course!

Well, I set out to make a DIY “Ugly” Christmas sweater with quilted yo-yos. And I gotta tell you, I’m not sure I can call it “ugly!” So I may have to switch to the other common phrase people use — “tacky Christmas sweater.” Tacky, it definitely is! And when I was done with it, I realized that yo-yos could make a great little Christmas tree, so then I made another sweatshirt that turned out just plain cute!

How to Make It Tacky: The Scattered Yo-Yos One!

First, you’ll need a basic sweater or sweatshirt. I used solid Time & Tru sweatshirts from Wal-Mart. They’re usually about $10 and come in a good range of colors. You could also go with your favorite basic sweatshirt brand like Hanes or Gildan.

Once you have a sweatshirt, you’ll first need to know how to make yo-yos and have a few basic supplies. I’ve got a supply list and quick cutting reference for you, for free! There’s also a step-by-step tutorial with photos over in my Vintage Yo-Yo Flower Garland post. Check out everything you need in my Amazon Idea List.

You’ve got a few options to make a tacky yo-yo sweater for all your tacky Christmas sweater needs. This is more of a choose your own adventure than a one size fits all situation!

• You can keep it simple and whip up a few yo-yos and stitch them on. Add ribbons and bells or other embellishments to your liking! Layer various sized yo-yos to add texture and interest.
  • Definitely pin your yo-yos on before you sew on, and try it on to check for and avoid any…well, let’s just say…awkward placement.
  • I attached my yo-yos with just a few stitches near the center of each, hidden inside the gathered folds. Easy peasy.
• If you like the wrapped candy yo-yos on my sweater, follow the wrapped candy ornament instructions found in my 7 Yo-Yo Ornaments Tutorial.
  • Make one yo-yo and the wrapper ties, but skip the hanging ribbon and the second yo-yo, and stitch it onto the sweatshirt.
  • Use Fray-Check on the raw edges of the wrappers.
  • Hand stitch everything rather than hot glue (which the ornaments use) so it will last in the wash.
• My 7 Yo-Yo Ornament Tutorial will also teach you how to get perfect fussy cut yo-yos if you want to try that.
  • The Merry Little Christmas collection from My Mind’s Eye has several ideal prints for fussy cutting!
  • I included 2 in my sweatshirt: “JOY” near the bottom, and a Santa head on one of the sleeves.
• Add ric rac! I love this Lori Holt Vintage Trim (large) in Schoolhouse. It’s the perfect Christmas red. I tied bows and added them to a few of my jumbo yo-yos.
  • Fray-Check the raw ends of your ric rac, too.
• My sweatshirt has jumbo and large sized yo-yos, but you can use any size! The yo-yo makers come in 5 sizes. (Grab my Free Yo-Yo Supply List to shop them all!)

Ok, so it’s tacky, but you know what? I had so much fun and spent a fair amount of time making mine, that I just decided I didn’t need some tacky Christmas party to wear it to. I strutted through Wal-Mart and breezed through the car rider line wearing this little piece of Christmas couture and people loved it! It’s sparked smiles everywhere I’ve worn it!

How to Make it Cute: The Christmas Tree One!

Ok, so I set out to make an “ugly” sweater and ended up with “tacky” but decidedly cute, not ugly. So then I wanted to try to make an even cuter one on purpose. Enter the cutest yo-yo Christmas tree sweatshirt!

I prefer to stitch my yo-yos together on my machine, but you can also do it by hand. I went in-depth to both techniques in my Vintage Yo-Yo Flower Garland post, so I’ll refer you there for the step-by-step. But basically, I use the bar-tack stitch on my machine (the one you attach a button with), or you can use a zig zag stitch with the stitch length set to 0 and the width at 6.5. This will create a stitch that goes back and forth, side to side without moving the fabric under the foot. Stitch around 15-20 times at each connecting point.

Once you’re familiar with attaching yo-yos, you’ll need 15 to make a Christmas tree. I used the large size, but extra-large could work, too. A fat quarter of fabric is enough if you use the large size. Arrange them in rows with 5 in the bottom row, 4 in the next, 3 in the next, 2 in the next, and 1 on top. As you stitch them together, allow the yo-yos to slightly overlap. Think of the way the branches in a wreath overlap. Keep them flowing in the same direction.

After each row is assembled, you’ll stitch the rows together in the same fashion. Start by attaching the 4 yo-yo row to the 5 yo-yo row. Pin the rows together before you begin stitching. With each row, attach the shorter one slightly overlapping the longer one. Try not to leave much (if any) space between yo-yos. If there are gaps, the sweatshirt will show through. (You can see my wool mat peeking through in the photo below. I fixed it before I stitched it!)

You could make the top yo-yo in a yellow or other contrasting color to be the tree topper, but I love bows, so I used a red bow above the top yo-yo for my tree topper.

Just remember that anything you attach should be machine-wash friendly, so think more silky ribbon or grosgrain and less wire and glitter. Consider finishing the ends, cutting with pinking shears, Fray-Check, or a combination of these suggestions to help keep the edges from unraveling over time.

Cut a solid brown fabric about 1.75″ x 2.5″ to make a trunk. Turn the edges under 1/4″ all the way around and press. You can top stitch now and hand stitch the trunk to the sweater later or machine stitch it to the sweater directly as a top stitch all at once.

Depending on your preference and how much time you have, you could add some ornaments to your tree. Glue on pom poms, stitch on small buttons or extra-small yo-yos. Even “wrap” your tree with some ric-rac for garlands, which I did! I used Lori Holt’s Vintage Trim in Schoolhouse, large. To attach it, I just tucked it under on the sides, ran it across at an angle, and hand stitched it down with small tack stitches every 1-1.5″ or so.

Fold your sweatshirt in half, matching shoulder seams. Crease it to mark the center. Place the tree on your sweatshirt, centering it. I like for the top of my tree to be 2-3″ below the neckline seam. Safety pin in place.

Carefully try on the sweater to check that you like the placement. Make sure it’s straight, centered, and that you’re happy with how high or low it is. I’ve found that, for my preference, it can almost never be too high, but sometimes it can be too low.

Tuck the trunk just under the bottom row, centered, with the longer side being the width. (You can cut a different size rectangle if you want a different look for your trunk.) Optionally, you can baste with white glue. If you do, place a piece of cardboard inside the sweatshirt to protect it from sticking to the back, and glue lightly. It will wash out later, but it can help hold things in place as you attach it to the sweatshirt.

Stitch in place, either by machine or by hand, depending on your preference. Either way, ensure that all pieces are securely fastened to the sweatshirt in order to withstand washing later. Be sure not to stretch or distort the sweatshirt as you stitch. If you stitch by hand, use a doubled thread and pull firmly but not so tightly that the sweatshirt puckers.

Sew your bow on, just at the top edge of the top yo-yo. Stitch through the bow’s knot, too, so that it does not come untied in the wash.

Sweatshirt Care

I would recommend hand washing your sweatshirt to be the most cautious. But, if you’re like me, you’re probably going to throw it in the machine anyway, right? So, in that case, turn it inside out so nothing snags it, wash it on a gentle cycle, and lay it flat to dry.

Want More Yo-Yos?

If you’re like me, yo-yos will become your newest sewing addiction! Check out my Yo-Yo Resource Page. It’s full of all my yo-yo freebies, projects, patterns, and ideas.

And grab my 7 Yo-Yo Ornaments Tutorial–get 10% off with the code RILEY.

You can also get more yo-yo inspo at Quilt ‘n Learn where I’m teaching a complete yo-yo workshop in January! You can sign up for free and attend over 30 quilting workshops on January 9-11, 2025. But if you want access NOW (before Christmas) you can sign up as a VIP. VIPs get instant access for 6 months and get a VIP bonus from each of 30 teachers! (My bonuses are a yo-yo checkerboard pattern–a great Christmas gift!–and my Ultimate Guide to Modern Yo-Yos.)

Merry Making!

For more patterns designed with motherhood in mind, visit Sew Worthy Mama or follow me on Instagram. Find more yo-yo resources and tutorials HERE. Or go straight to shop yo-yo supplies, HERE.