A few year ago, we had a card making party with some “crafty” friends. If you are not a person who is naturally craft-oriented, I recommend you surround yourself with those who are because it is fun to do with a person who knows what they are doing!

What you should gather together:

Find a friend who LOVES to make cards–they always have great ideas and techniques in their brains! And don’t forget to check out an idea book from the library!

• Hungarian friends and relatives who like to hang around together and work on fun projects.
• Card Stock in white and light tan (or other colors that will go with your cards)
• Double stick tape
• Scissors
• Paper Cutter
• Pre-printed but inexpensive Christmas cards from a dollar store
• Rubber stamps/pad
• Crafting paper with Christmas themes
• Decorative card punches
• Card embellishments
• Optional but a great way to set the mood — put on a CD with Hungarian Christmas Music!!!

Before beginning, I typed in a few Hungarian Christmas greetings into a Microsoft Word document and played around with several different fonts. Once I found ones I liked and made them various sizes, I printed them on card stock. I did print some on green card stock but realized that wasn’t the best plan so I recommend you stick with white and off white.

Here are some appropriate greetings for Christmas:

Boldog Karácsonyt! — Merry Christmas

Kellemes Ünnepeket!– Happy Holidays (Christmas)

BUEK! — this is the abbreviated form of Happy New Year!

Boldog Új Évet! — Happy New Year!

Print (or write in neat handwriting) the Hungarian greetings on card stock. Cut them out with a steady hand or use a paper cutter, add double stick tape to the back and carefully place it to your card. Using pre-printed cards was a very easy way to do this project however you can make the entire card from start to finish. If you are brand new to making cards, I recommend taking the easier road until you get your feet wet and you have more experience. I don’t make cards very often so I rely on my friend, Linda, who knows quite a bit about it!

Crafting your own Hungarian cards isn’t terribly difficult and can be done for any occasion. This is a fun way to help connect your family and friends with your heritage and increases your practice with Hungarian greetings. Here is a listing of various greetings you can use on your homemade cards:

Gratulálok — Congratulations

Hiányzol — Miss You

Szeretlek — I Love You

Rád gondolok — Thinking of You

Boldog névnapot — Happy Name Day

Boldog születésnapot — Happy Birthday

Nagyon szépen köszönöm — Thank you very much

Boldog Húsvéti Ünnepeket — Happy Easter

Gyógyulást — Get Well Soon

Sok szeretettel üdvözöllek — Greetings with lots of love

Sokszor gondolok rád — Thinking about you often

Minden jót kívánok — Wishing you all the best

You can have a more diverse and fun event with International flair by inviting friends who are excited about their ethnic heritage and encourage them to make greeting cards in the language of their ancestors!

Have fun! And send in a few photos of your creations! We would love to see them!

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