The Hallremark’s “Merry Countdown to Christmas” Sweatshirt Tutorial

Look at me designing and making a sweatshirt in the name of the most wonderful movie event of the year: Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas!

(Of course, I also love Hallmark Movies and Mysteries’ Miracles of Christmas, but they just started calling their Christmas movies Miracles of Christmas so I can’t get too attached to that name yet. I mean, this project took me forever and I can’t be making new sweatshirts each year.)

Okay, so this isn’t like a tutorial you’d find on Home & Family, Pinterest, or on JoAnn Fabrics’ website. They wouldn’t claim this. This is the tutorial of a person who had an idea, thought…hmm I can do that, that’ll be easy, I can do anything, look at me I’m so creative and humble, no I don’t need directions, this’ll work out and be perfect because it is a labor of love and Hallmark Christmas magic will make sure this works in my favor!

Ha.

Here we go!

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Supplies Needed

An oversized, very cheap sweatshirt

Make sure it swallows you whole! It needs to be comfy for movie viewing! You’ll want it to be cheap, because if you’re like me, it won’t be perfect. I got mine for $6 from Walmart.

Any ole red fabric

But, not really. I thought flannel would be great! It’s soft! It’s Christmassy! Well, it also frays like crazy and isn’t your friend if you have zero idea what you’re doing.

Red embroidery thread

What size, you ask? Oh, there is more than one? Just the first one you pick up!

Embroidery needles

But, maybe research what size to use along with the thread you buy. I just picked the one with the biggest loop because it was the one that looked easiest to thread. Haaaaaaaa.

Embroidery hoop

I got the largest one possible, and I’m not sure that was necessary?

Fabric glue

Try not to let it get anywhere near your eye so you won’t be concerned that you got it in said-eye. This happened to me! I am a hypochondriac! It’s completely miserable!!!!

Regular scissors

Just because.

Fabric scissors

An actually very good and important investment ✔️

Disappearing ink fabric pen

This is a real thing, and it is the coolest. Maybe I should draw on my husband’s clothes with it on April Fools Day mwahahahaha (Oh, wait, he reads my blog. Shoot).

A printer & some card stock

So you can print and cut out Merry Countdown to Christmas!

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The Steps

1. Turn on a Hallmark Christmas movie! You’re making this sweatshirt because you love them, after all.

2. After printing out my provided stencil on card stock, painstakingly cut out 25 letters and an exclamation point (!). NOT with the fabric scissors. Thankfully, I didn’t make that mistake. That was the only mistake I didn’t make.

3. Trace each stencil onto your fabric with the disappearing ink fabric pen.

4. With your fabric scissors, cry while once again painstakingly cutting out 25 letters and one exclamation point (!) out of your fabric of choice.

****It’s actually best if you cut out each letter immediately after you trace them. That disappearing ink goes fast!****

5. Try on the sweatshirt, and stare in the mirror. Wonder if you’ve always looked this tired, or is it just since you started this incredibly tedious project? Promise yourself that you’ll get more sleep. This step isn’t just for self-evaluation–it’s to see where you want to place the freshly cut out letters! I placed random apple stickers I found in my desk on the sweatshirt for reference.

6. Place the letters on the front of the sweatshirt however you want–preferably in a way that spells out Merry Countdown to Christmas! but if you want it to spell Downcount to Christmas! Merry upside down on the right sleeve of your sweatshirt, I can’t judge you for that.

7. Secure each letter onto the sweatshirt with fabric glue. But only use a small amount. I didn’t think to avoid the edges, and sewing through the hardened glue…proved…quite difficult.

8. Wait a couple hours (or overnight because you will be sick of this project at this point and you will need some space) for the glue to dry before you start to stitch the letters on.

9. Okay, kids, this part will take days. Good thing Hallmark is showing nonstop Christmas movies early this year, because you will need that holiday spirit to get through this. If this stitch has a real name, I do not know it because I just did what I thought would look right. I just looped the thread around the edges of the letters onto the sweatshirt???? Wow. Good thing I’m not trying to be a professional DIY-er because that description was embarrassing.

10. Put it on. Give yourself a hug because you survived and are ready for #CountdownToChristmas!!!!!!! Take a selfie in front of the Christmas tree just cuz you can.

Now What?

Now what? Oh, just anything. You have a very comfortable and festive around the house Hallmark movie watchin’ sweatshirt (I’m stressing the fact that it is an around the house Hallmark movie watchin’ sweatshirt because mine looks and feels like pajamas.)! You just completed one of the most monotonous tasks in the world! You should at least brag about it to somebody! And preferably somebody who likes Hallmark because I’ve realized sharing my Hallmark love with non-Hallmarkies is not fun.

Just look at it.

So beautiful. So warm. So perfect for cozying up in to watch day after day after day of Hallmark Christmas movies.

But, let me tell you something: don’t make this sweatshirt. I’m not even attaching the “stencil” that I promised. I mean, I don’t actually expect anyone to take the kind of time I did on this seriously questionable task. There are better things you could be doing.

Seriously, just buy one. Or if you have to be crafty, get some puff paint. Puff paint is nice. Or, you can just draw a horrible version of it on a picture of yourself. See below for an example.

Thanks for reading about my crafting journey! And ahhhhhhhh Hallmark Christmas movies are starting in like 5 seconds!!!!!!! Enjoy them!!!!!! Merry Countdown to Christmas, everybody!

❤ The Hallremark