I’m not the biggest candy fiend, so every year I end up with candy canes left over after Christmas. Valentine’s is the perfect way to get rid of them. Of course, now that I have two kids of candy-eating age, I expect to have to hoard candy canes for this purpose.

It’s quick, too. All you have to do is arrange miniature candy canes in heart-shaped pairs on a silicone baking mat and put them in a 275-300°F oven. In about ten minutes, they’ll soften, and you can squish the ends together to seal the hearts. If they’re not quite ready, stick them back in for a few more minutes. I’ve also read that at about 350°, you can melt them into solid, flat hearts.

Ruth’s interests all involve making things, which means her husband and two kids have learned to watch out for stray pins and bead trays and to ask before eating anything made of fondant. By day, she's an editor over at opensource.com. Follow her on Twitter.