Okay, I’ll admit it. I love homemade decorations. They’re always a huge hit in our home. When the kids were small, we always made our own. Sadly, now that they’re older we don’t always have the time. Mommy chauffeur reporting for duty. So this year we cheated a bit and used some of our old store-bought ornaments and sheets of cardboard to make this bauble and light-filled star. That still counts as homemade, right!!!?

And since she’s made from cardboard, she’s budget-friendly too.

This is not the first time we used cardboard to make a Christmas decor that wows. And she sure does wow, especially when the lights are turned down low.

Okay, before we get to the tutorial, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe so you’ll never miss a post!
What you need
It’s pretty simple to make too. All you need is:
- A large sturdy cardboard box or two pizze boxes
- Masking tape, ruler and scissors or a craft knife
- Battery operated string lights
- Christmas baubles
- Spray paint (optional)
- Glue gun
Making the Bauble and Light Filled Star
RightyO, so first things first. We need to make a huge star-shaped box for all those baubles. Grab a big, thick sheet of cardboard. The thicker the better, and draw a large five-point star as shown below.
Cut the star out using a pair of scissors or your craft knife. Use the other piece of cardboard and measure and cut 8 cm wide strips. That’s about 3 1/8 inches. Place the strips on the sides of the star and mark off how long each strip should be. I numbered the strips and the sides just in case my 5-oint star wasn’t 100% perfect.
Attach the strips to the sides of the star using some masking tape. Flip the star over and fold the strips up and tape the tips of the points and where the points of the star meet each other.
Give the star a coat of paint to hide the masking tape and invite one of your purr babies to test it out 😉 Ahhhh, my Cleo. Isn’t she beautiful? She’s always so willing to help out.
When the purr baby is satisfied, use a sharp implement to poke holes into the star.
Push the string lights through from the back of the star. Add as many lights as you can. It just makes it look so much more special. Time to fill her up. Our baubles were all different colors. Yeah, I know, I’m one of those people that used to pick a new color theme every year. Thank goodness Bonnie and Edward Seymour invented spray paint way back when. My heroes!!!! This year I’m kinda liking the whole metallic look.
Once the paint dries, put a small dab of glue on a bauble and start sticking those babies down randomly inside the star. I didn’t have enough to fill the whole star, but that’s okay.

I love how the empty space contrasts with the baubles and light. What do you think?

Ain’t she pretty?

Sorry about the image quality. I take all my photos with my mobile and struggle a bit with the ISO setting when it’s dark. And that’s when the bauble and light-filled star really starts weaving its magic.
If you like the idea of the bauble and light filled star, don’t forget to pin it for later

Sharing is caring 😉

So tell me. Do you make your own ornaments for Christmas, or do you prefer to buy them? I’d love to hear about it, and if you’re searching for more crafty cardboard ideas, you’ll find a whole bunch of tutorials on the blog.
Oh, before I forget, if you don’t want to go to the trouble of finding some of the materials we used, we’ve got you covered. Disclosure: Clicking on the links below, means we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us come up with more crafty ideas to share with you 😉
And as always wishing you a wonderful, happy crafty week. Thank you for popping in for a visit.
Last update on 2026-08-16 / Source Amazon Affiliates







118 comments
See, it’s that unique spin you put on things that wows me every.single.time. The star idea in itself is very cute but the way you placed the baubles makes it very clever and unique. LOVE this!
❣ Awwwww Marie, that’s so special. Thank you!!!
What do you put the dabs of glue on to put on the baubles. Do you need to use something to put all the baubles on or can you just glue them in. When do you paint the star?
Hey they Norma, we painted the star before adding the baubles and they have just been glued in. Lie the star flat on the ground and then glue them in one by one with a glue gun. Hope that helps
I’m just seeing this now and had to pin it for next year. LOVE your idea! Thanks so much for sharing it!
Oh yay, I’m glad you like it Wendi and thanks so much for the pin ?
Ok will be pinning this for next Christmas, sooo cute!!! And your kittie is the bomb!!!
Thanks so much Christine ?
I would enjoy this all year not just for Christmas! It’s a perfect decoration for sprucing up a bedroom or living room, even a bathroom. It’s great.
Thanks so much Susan, we’re really happy with how it turned out
Just now saw this! It is a piece of art. Absolutely gorgeous. I will most definitely do this next year. Anxious to go through all your posts. Thanks for the inspirations.
? Thank you so much Sandee, I really appreciate that. Let me know how your dresser turns out please
Where did you put the battery pack?
Hey there Mercy, it’s stuck behind the star
This is really elegant and gorgeous Michelle. This post isn’t crafted its art. Love it, lady.
Thanks so much Leanna
Hi Michelle, i just started following you and your husband, i had been perusing hometalk.com and ran across your blog about how to paint eyes on your mossy friends (i think that was the title) but anyway I fell in love with that and here I am. I posted on Facebook the u tube video and told them all about you and Crafty Mix and your husband. I hope that was ok ??? I can’t wait to see what all you both indulge in as far as diy goes. I love it all so I’m sure I’m going to love your whole blog. Happy Holidays to you both and you’re family of furry babies, of course your kitty is adorable but your puppy is beautiful. Love the eyes. See you soon.
Your comments on all our different blog posts really made my day Diena – how do I ever say thank you for each one of them. It means the world to us bloggers when someone shares a tiny piece of themselves in the comment section so THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart ❤️
Wow – I can’t believe I missed this one…this is gorgeous, Michelle!
Thanks so very much Handan ?
Michelle, I love this project so much. It’s simple but so chic. Thanks for sharing your tutorial. Pinned!
Thank you so much Lisa and it’s a pleasure
Ok so silly question….. where do you get the cardboard? Did you just buy a moving box?
A moving box would work beautifully Dana. We had a whole bunch of large pieces of cardboard that we used for other projects so we used that
What can I say… you have this gift to make everything and look so gorgeous! You are an inspiration!
Thank you my friend ?
That looks absolutely beautiful! I have two left hands when it comes to craft. There’s no way I could master this one. 🙂
I’m sure you’ll be able to make it Jas. Those two left hands of yours are super talented. I’ve seen the masterpieces you create in the kitchen ?
How beautiful! Thank you for sharing this post at our Winter Holiday Link Party! I’ll be featuring your gorgeous star tonight on Facebook. -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
Oh Wow. Thank you so much Marci. You just made my day.
Also, I love the kitty. 😉
❤
Michelle, this is stunning. I cannot believe you did this with cardboard! It looks so classy and expensive. I love the metallic color scheme and the empty space is a perfect contrast! I don’t know how you come up with these things, but they are simply brilliant. Love, love, love. Off to make my own. 😀
? Oh Yay Amy!!!!! That’s so great. Thank you. I’m really glad the cardboard star works for you and can’t wait to see how yours looks
It’s beautiful Michelle! I thought that the star would be difficult to make , but you made it look pretty simple. It’s truly an original, and it has the stamp of approval from your pretty purr baby Cleo! ?
It really is simple my friend as long as the points of the star are wide enough for the baubles. The first time I made it, the points were too narrow so I had to make another one ?