PITTSTON – The Pittston Memorial Library held its first Ugly Sweater Decorating Party on Monday, Nov. 9. Materials like stars, tinsel and felt Christmas trees and snowmen were provided to party goers who brought along plain blank sweaters to transform into ugly Christmas sweaters.

“People get invited to ugly sweater parties all the time and scramble to find a sweater at Salvation Army to throw tinsel on,” Library Director and party organizer Patricia Joyce said. “I thought to have a decorating party, that way they’re ready when they start getting invitations.”

Joyce gave one of her daughter’s old sweaters new life by adding a snowman and a decorated Christmas tree. It’ll fit tight, but Joyce said it’ll do for one of their favorite holiday activities: driving through neighborhoods looking at lights.

Other party patrons were preparing their own sweaters for future holiday get-togethers.

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Dallas resident Jannette Grieves is a member of the Red Hat Society, a social organization for women, and came to the party to decorate a sweater for the society’s Christmas party. Dupont’s Alison Hudzinski is a teacher at Pleasant Valley High School and hopes to use her revived almost-sent-to-Goodwill sweater during a possible Ugly Christmas Sweater Day at her school.

Holly Mangold of Avoca applied a garland-centric theme to her baby blue sweater. She said the Ugly Sweater Decorating Party is one of many library functions she has attended.

“I’ve been doing a lot of events with the library,” Mangold said. “I take my kids, so I try to participate in things for myself then too.”

Susan Jones of Jenkins Township bought a new sweatshirt with the intention of bringing it to the party and making it ugly. She volunteers at the library and plans to wear her sweater there, along with wherever her holiday social calendar takes her.

“I found the little green triangles and thought ‘trees!’ and then I can put the ornaments on the trees,” Jones said. “This is my first time doing an ugly sweater. Maybe I’ll get invited to a party now.”

Holly Mangold of Avoca, right, and Alison Hudzinski of Dupont decorate their Christmas sweaters at the Pittston Memorial Library.
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_Ugly-Sweater-1.jpg.optimal.jpgHolly Mangold of Avoca, right, and Alison Hudzinski of Dupont decorate their Christmas sweaters at the Pittston Memorial Library. Bill Tarutis | For Sunday Dispatch

Pittston Memorial Library Director and Pittston resident Patricia Joyce decorates an ugly Christmas Sweater for her daughter.
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_Ugly-Sweater-2.jpg.optimal.jpgPittston Memorial Library Director and Pittston resident Patricia Joyce decorates an ugly Christmas Sweater for her daughter. Bill Tarutis | For Sunday Dispatch

An ugly Christmas sweater decorated by Pittston Memorial Library Director and Pittston resident Patricia Joyce.
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_Ugly-Sweater-3.jpg.optimal.jpgAn ugly Christmas sweater decorated by Pittston Memorial Library Director and Pittston resident Patricia Joyce. Bill Tarutis | For Sunday Dispatch
Library holds ugly Christmas sweater decorating party

By Gene Axton

gaxton@timesleader.com

Reach Gene Axton at 570-991-6121 or on Twitter @TLArts