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The gifts have been unwrapped, the guests have left, and the leftovers are long gone, but Christmas is far from over. “Undecorating,” recapping, and planning lie ahead.

I postpone putting away the holiday decorations as long as possible, usually until the last big football game. With the days so gray and cold outside, it seems a shame to remove the festive décor inside. I came up with a few tricks to ease out of the holiday season. The snowmen and snowflakes are relabeled as winter décor—they stay; the pine needles are dropping—they go. My red decorations also stay. I gather white doilies and lace, and rearrange the red ornaments and bows into Valentine’s Day decorations. I even set aside some of the green ornaments for St. Patrick’s Day. Now that I’m not in “holiday décor withdrawal,” I concentrate on packing away the other decorations, organizing my card list, and preserving the holiday memories. There are cards to file, photos to send, thank-you notes to write, recipes to rewrite, ornaments to organize, scrapbook pages to add, and journals to keep. I purge, packing away the good decorations and leaving out those I no longer want or those that need to be refurbished and repurposed. The items I don’t want are boxed for the thrift shop or flea market (someone might have ideas for them); the items that need to be refurbished are stored separately (I have ideas for them).

Read through the projects in this issue to spark your imagination. Preserve your memories with some of our Memory Tree ideas on page 8, scrapbook sheet on page 78, or the frame ornament on page 80. Create a treasured heirloom with the Mulled Cider Quilt on page 51, or start your own village with the houses on page 36. Get organized. For some unique storage ideas, turn to pages 72 through 76.

There is so much to do—it’s time to get started. Get out the new calendar and start your countdown to Christmas 2010!

Terrie Studer
Editor

Welcome to Christmas 365

Christmas 365 is a magazine devoted entirely to celebrating the spirit of Christmas.

The holiday season is a special time of year that we enjoy sharing with friends and loved ones. It is a time of year where strangers smile and the air is filled with laughter, songs, and cheerful greetings from those passing by.

Wouldn’t it be nice to keep this giving and caring spirit throughout the year? Christmas 365 is dedicated to making Christmas a state of mind rather than a holiday celebrated one day a year.

Throughout the year, Christmas 365 will bring you holiday craft projects and articles to keep the spirit of Christmas alive and help you prepare for the coming season. Each issue will bring you popular projects from past Christmases, new ideas for the present, and plans and inspirations for the future.

Enjoy our creative how-to projects presented in a variety of mediums—you might even be tempted to try several new crafting techniques.

To you, our readers, we wish good thoughts and cheer 365 days a year. Join us throughout the year as we countdown to Christmas.

Terrie Studer, Editor    

What's Inside the Spring 2010 Issue

Memory Trees
Beloved, bedraggled, and bejeweled; holiday ornaments hold our history. We've chosen jewelry, recipes, travel souvenirs, and photos for our memory trees.		 Cards
Use die-cut bulbs and gold spaghetti wire to let your Christmas lights shine a little longer! Add them to your thank-you cards! 		Storage Solutions
Let the cleaning begin! It may seem like the holidays are over, but there is still work to do. Orgainzation is the key!		 Teri Embrey
This enchanting folk artist talks about the inspiration for her award-winning old-world Santa art.