Started your Christmas shopping? While there are hundreds of regular and designer shops to choose from when browsing, you can create your own gifts at a number of English-friendly workshops around Budapest during December. Not only are the presents more personal, you can learn techniques in design, painting, ceramics, embroidery and woodwork, even traditional Japanese hand-stitching. The end result? Beautiful jewelry, a natty winter hat, a stylish notebook – even an eco-friendly Christmas tree!

1/10

Fairy lights workshop – Franta Ági

Fairy lights are not only an essential decoration element of the holiday season but also make a great gift. At Ági Franta’s workshops, you can make your own decorative lights with ten or 20 lightbulbs and your favorite colors. You can choose from 25 shades of Christmas, making the tiny, flower-like covers and gluing them on the lights after folding them into shape. Light up someone’s day! 

  • Facebook event / Facebook event
  • Date and time: December 7, 6pm – 8pm or Dec. 9, 10.30am – 1pm
  • Location: Stilshop (1093 Budapest, Balna Budapest, Fővám tér 11-12) on Dec. 7, or InnoConcept (1033 Budapest, Bogdáni út 1) on Dec. 9
  • Participation fee: 7,900 HUF/person (Dec. 7) or 7,500-8,500 HUF/person (Dec. 9)
  • Maximum number of participants: 15 people

Register HERE for Dec. 2 and HERE for Dec. 9

2/10

Pottery painting workshop – MadeByYou

Pick a piece of pottery from MadeByYou’s abundant assortment of more than 100 different shapes, including mugs, plates, jars, teapots and vases, and let your creativity soar while painting it with whimsical, watercolor-like patterns amid an inspirational and tranquil atmosphere. After your work is complete, you have to leave it in the shop for a few days for glazing and kiln-firing before returning to collect them. 

  • Facebook event
  • Date and time: December 3, 10.30am – 1.30pm
  • Location: MadeByYou Pest (1053 Budapest, Királyi Pál utca 11)
  • Participation fee: 1,900 HUF/person

Register HERE

3/10

Lightbox workshop – Technika #1

Lightboxes are in right now, not only serving as a decorative element but also as a source of soft, cozy light on cold winter evenings, as a bookend or a small piece of furniture. The lightboxes you can make at this workshop can be customized as you wish, as the text can be changed at any time. The participation fee includes the material costs but making the text costs an additional 2,000 HUF. 

  • Facebook event
  • Date and time: December 10, 10am – 6pm
  • Location: Technika #1 (1096 Budapest, Vendel utca 3)
  • Participation fee: depends on the size of the lightbox. Small (34 x 9 cm) – 25,000 HUF/person, medium (34 x 24 cm) – 32,000 HUF/person, large (69 x 44 cm) 43,000 HUF/person

  • If the two of you work together on the furniture, the second person only need pay 13,000 HUF

Register HERE

4/10

Ugly sweater workshop – Pinkponilo

Ugly sweaters are in for the holiday season, so why not make one as a gift for a fun-loving friend or relative? Just be sure to make it as crazy, kitsch and ugly as possible. During the workshop, you can either work with a sweater of your own or choose from Pinkponilo’s selection, and decorate it with a lot of ridiculous accessories! 

  • Facebook event
  • Date and time: December 10, 5pm – 8pm
  • Location: PINKPONILO Workshop (1053 Budapest, Kossuth Lajos utca 14 – ground floor)
  • Participation fee: 3,000 HUF (if you bring your own sweater) or 4,000 HUF/person – paid in advance
  • Maximum number of participants: 6 people 

Register HERE

5/10

Hat making workshop – Pinkponilo

Winter clothing accessories are classic Christmas presents: practical and timeless. Make a simple, warm hat with small decorations or embroidered letters at Pinkponilo’s workshop. Recycling textiles is an important aspect of the event, so you will work with old and leftover materials. The workshop will have its own selection to choose from but feel free to bring textiles from home, as well. 

  • Facebook event
  • Date and time: December 15, 5pm – 8pm
  • Location: PINKPONILO Workshop (1053 Budapest, Kossuth Lajos utca 14 – ground floor)
  • Participation fee: 5,000 HUF/person – paid in advance
  • Maximum number of participants: 6 people 

Register HERE

6/10

Recycled bag workshop – Medence Re+Concept

Make creative, timeless and professional-looking eco-friendly bags, such as bike bags, handbags, laptop bags, market bags and tote bags from mesh material or from colorful cast-off banners, all for someone special. At the Re+Concept workshop, choose a material or template, pick a banner and cut it out, find some accessories to finish off your fanciful and self-designed new piece, ready to be wrapped and placed under the tree. 

  • Event site
  • Date and time: December 16, 10am – 4pm
  • Location: Medence Szalon & Concept Store (1093 Budapest, Pipa utca 4)
  • Participation fee: depends on the size of the bag. 2,500 or 4,000 or 5,000 HUF/person
  • Registration deadline: December 13. 

Register HERE

7/10

Notebook workshop – Hababa

One of the newest designer stores in Budapest not only offers designer clothes and accessories but also places great emphasis on getting visitors acquainted with the designing process through various workshops. At Ambient’s workshop, you can make notebooks with custom-design covers, using a Japanese hand-stitching technique. The participation fee includes the material costs. 


Register HERE

8/10

Glass jewelry workshop – Fabrika

Decorate your Christmas tree with handmade glass ornaments! At the workshop of artists Judit Grünfelder and Nóra Márta Virághné, you can create beautiful, fragile decorations with a special fusing technique in just a few hours. The participation fee includes material costs and hot tea, as well. The finished pieces can be taken home a few days after the workshop. 


Register HERE

9/10

Christmas tree workshop – Technika #1

If you’re looking for an an alternative, environmentally friendly Christmas tree while keeping the visuals of evergreen ones, you can make a special and functional little tree at this workshop. You can not only dress the finished product with ornaments but also candles. Last but not least, the workshop is a great project for a family to enjoy and learn from together. 

  • Facebook event
  • Date and time: December 17, 9am – 2pm
  • Location: Technika #1 (1096 Budapest, Vendel utca 3)
  • Participation fee: 13,500 HUF (70cm tall tree) or 15,500 HUF/person (100cm tall tree)

Register HERE