Glass Christmas Baubles - Hand Painted Tree Decorations

Traditional Hand-Painted Glass Christmas Baubles

Glass Christmas baubles have a special character that mass-produced plastic decorations cannot easily replicate. Each ornament reflects light differently, carries small variations from the making process and becomes part of the collection of decorations brought out year after year.

Our range is made in Hungary by Szabó Üveg, a family-run workshop with decades of experience creating blown-glass Christmas tree decorations using traditional techniques.

Made by the Szabó Family in Hungary

The story of Szabó Üveg began in 1963, when Szabó Lajos and his wife established their family business. After experimenting with several specialist crafts, the company began producing glass Christmas decorations around 1970 and gradually made them the heart of the business.

More than half a century later, the family still makes Christmas ornaments in its workshop in Tárnok, near Budapest. Szabó Lajos remained actively involved into his nineties, while younger family members have continued the tradition alongside him.

The workshop combines traditional equipment, skilled handwork and decades of accumulated experience, producing both familiar Hungarian designs and newer decorative styles.

Blown from Glass & Hand-Painted

Each decoration begins with hand-blown glass shaped into the finished ornament, then silvered internally to create its reflective glow before being coloured and decorated.

Many designs are then individually hand-painted, including detailed winter scenes, floral motifs and festive greetings. The fine-brush hand-finishing process means that small variations between decorations are part of their character rather than imperfections.

Some of the more elaborate designs require particularly detailed painting, and Szabó Üveg maintains a large archive of patterns it can revisit and adapt year to year.

Personally Selected by Monika

Founder Monika Gyenes chose Szabó Üveg because the family business closely reflects the principles behind Best of Hungary: traditional craftsmanship, long-standing expertise, family ownership and products with a clear connection to Hungarian culture.

Rather than sourcing generic Christmas decorations, Monika wanted a range made by artisans who still understand the traditional craft of blown-glass ornament making and who could work with us to create designs specifically for our customers in the UK.

Bauble Sizes

Our larger hand-painted glass baubles measure approximately 10 cm in diameter, giving them enough presence to work as feature ornaments on a Christmas tree without overwhelming the surrounding decorations.

Traditional Hungarian Christmas Designs

The collection includes designs inspired by Hungarian Christmas traditions and folk art.

• Kalocsai baubles feature colourful floral motifs inspired by Kalocsa's famous folk-art tradition in southern Hungary.
• Áldott Karácsonyt baubles carry the traditional Hungarian Christmas greeting, making them particularly meaningful gifts for Hungarian friends and family.
• Winter landscape baubles are hand-painted with snowy houses and festive scenes in classic Christmas colours including red, green and blue.
• Traditional red and gold baubles provide timeless colours that sit naturally alongside both vintage and contemporary Christmas decorations.

Designed for Our New Home in Britain

Alongside the traditional Hungarian designs, we worked with Szabó Üveg to create decorations specifically for the British market.

These include our Merry Christmas bauble, combining traditional Hungarian glass craftsmanship with an English festive greeting.

Our Nadolig Llawen design has particular meaning for Best of Hungary. After making Wales our new home, we wanted the collection to acknowledge that connection with a hand-painted Welsh Christmas greeting created by the same Hungarian artisans.

It brings together two parts of our story: traditional Hungarian craftsmanship and the country that Best of Hungary now calls home.

Christmas Decorations Made to Be Kept

Hand-painted glass baubles are more than seasonal decorations. With careful handling, you can bring them out year after year and let them become part of a family’s Christmas traditions.

Their individual character also makes them ideal keepsake gifts for friends, relatives, and hosts.

Carefully Packed for Safe UK Delivery

We understand that ordering hand-blown glass decorations online can raise concerns about breakage, so we take particular care when packing each order.

We supply individual baubles in protective presentation boxes to help shield them during storage and transit. Our warehouse team then packs each order by hand using protective wrapping and cushioning inside sturdy cardboard boxes before dispatch.

We also use recyclable void-fill materials and recycled or recyclable outer cartons wherever possible, combining careful protection with a more environmentally conscious approach to packaging.

If an item does arrive damaged, contact us with your order number and a photograph so we can arrange a replacement or refund in line with our delivery policy.

How to Style Glass Christmas Baubles

• Mix red, gold and green ornaments for a classic traditional Christmas tree.
• Use hand-painted winter landscapes as feature decorations among simpler baubles.
• Combine Kalocsai designs with solid colours to bring Hungarian folk art into a festive display.
• Use greeting baubles as personalised gifts or keepsakes for friends and family.
• Display larger ornaments on wreaths, garlands or decorative branches as well as on the Christmas tree.

Hungarian Christmas Gifts

The baubles make distinctive gifts for anyone who appreciates traditional craftsmanship or has a connection to Hungary.

They also sit naturally alongside the festive foods and gifts in our Hungarian Christmas collection, allowing customers to combine an enduring handmade decoration with seasonal treats and traditional Hungarian favourites.

We offer gift packaging and handwritten message options, and you can have the parcels delivered directly to the recipient.

Buy Hand-Painted Glass Christmas Baubles Online in the UK

Explore our collection of hand-painted glass Christmas baubles and tree decorations and choose from Hungarian folk motifs, winter landscapes, classic festive colours and greeting baubles.