If you are one of those wives with a husband who considers holiday decorating more than just stringing a single strand of lights around the Christmas tree or sneaking off with an armful of holiday baked cookies, then you are one lucky gal. 

As for yours truly, holiday decorating was a fairly lone project and after putting up lights, my collection of Santas and every-little-do-dah consisting of proper tree decor and etiquette my hub had the audacity to stand back and survey MY work.

"Tree looks a little bare." He replied, one hand under his chin, the other on his hip.

Several glares and one mighty, "Bah humbug!" later, I had to agree. The Christmas tree was not so much bare as looking mighty pathetic. Several moves over the last few years, coupled with a thieving cat, a chew-obsessed dog, and two destructive children has equalled the loss of the majority of our holiday ornaments. Boxes missing, glass and ceramic ornaments smashed from overloaded moving vans; what was one to expect? But how to fill a tree without putting too much pressure on the wallet or repeating history by having fragile ornaments easily and all too quickly destroyed?

My only solution was going paper and stuffed. As for paper, I really wasn't wanting to go paper chain (though that would be incredibly cheap and would fill empty spots on the tree quickly) stuffed seemed the next-best-thing. If I managed to keep it not only quick but relatively simple, long-lasting and pet-proof.

I first traced out a star, absolutely nothing perfectly proportional (I can't expect too much of myself), just a simple, slightly skewed star measuring a little bigger than 5x7 on paper with plenty of seam allowances. After cutting out the star I picked the most pleasing of fabrics I could find amongst my stash. (Obviously I was in a red mood!) and then pinning the star to the fabric and cutting two of each. Flipping the fabric over so that right sides are together, it was time to sew, baby, sew! I left a large enough hole so as to flip the star right side out and then stuffed accordingly with polyester fiberfill. (Don't skimp on those pesky corners, carefully use the eraser end of a pencil to help push fill in, also helpful while turning from wrong side to right.) Once I had the star stuffed to my liking I sewed the hole closed.

With stuffed star in hand the possibilities are endless; decorate with buttons, glitter or even fill, before sewing hole closed, with dried herbs! You can sew ribbon to hang from tree limbs or do as I did and simply sit amongst the other ornaments. Make dozens of stars, sew them to each other with ribbon to make garland.

Easy. Simple. Tree filling and husband shushing!