An ugly sweater contest needs three things that the free ballot printables leave out. Guests need a way to say which sweater they mean, which is hard at an office party where half the room are names you half know. The categories should be the ones your group laughs at. And someone needs something to hand the winner. This kit prints all three: a number to pin on every sweater, ballots with your categories and a box for a number, and an award for each category.
What prints
- Contestant numbers, one per sweater, six to a sheet, big enough to read across the room. Pin one on every contestant.
- Ballots, four to a sheet, listing your categories, each with a box for a contestant’s number.
- Awards, two to a sheet, one for each category, with a line for the winner’s name.
Running the contest
- Number the sweaters as people arrive: pin a number on each, front and center.
- Hand out ballots halfway through the party, so everyone has seen every sweater.
- Collect and count. Fold the ballots into a box; count the numbers in each category.
- Present the awards: write each winner’s name on the line under “presented to” and hand it over.
Up to six categories fit on a ballot. If a guest leaves a box empty, that is a vote for nobody in that category, and the count simply goes on.
What it costs
Nothing. No account, no email, no watermark. Everything is drawn in your browser and printed from the PDF.
The same party can use the white elephant kit for the gift exchange, and Christmas picture bingo or winter bingo for the rest of the evening.
Questions
How do you vote in an ugly sweater contest?
Give every contestant a number to pin on the sweater, hand every guest a ballot, and let them write a contestant's number next to each category. Fold the ballots into a box, count them at the end, and present an award for each category. Numbers make the vote work at a party where not everyone knows each other's names.
What categories should an ugly sweater contest have?
Four is a good number for one party: the kit starts with Ugliest sweater, Most festive, Best homemade and Most lights and bells. Replace them with your own, one a line, up to six: Most likely to be worn again, Best couple's sweaters, Best office joke, whatever suits the room. Each category gets a line on every ballot and its own award.
How many ballots do I need?
One per guest who votes, which may be more than the number of contestants if some guests are judging rather than competing. Set contestants and ballots separately; the ballots print four to a sheet, the numbers six to a sheet and the awards two to a sheet.
Do the awards have the winners' names on them?
No, and that is on purpose: the winners are only known at the end. Each award prints the category in large type with a line under "presented to", so you write the name in by hand when you announce the winner.
Is anything uploaded?
No. The numbers, ballots and awards are drawn in your browser and handed to your printer as a PDF; nothing you type is sent anywhere.