Each year, Kevin Sharkey comes up with one striking gift that he can make or buy in multiples and wrap assembly line-style. Often it involves candy (because he has a sweet tooth). But this year, he created a "Sweet Dreams" care package with a pair of super-soft flannel pillowcases, a quilted-satin eye mask, and a compilation of lullabies. It's all wrapped up in a giant satin bow with a sparkly stick-on heart. What could be lovelier than the gift of good sleep?

Tuck candy gemstones into this handcrafted jewelry box for a special someone, or give them out to your dazzling friends.

With a note, a photo, or some sweets tucked inside, this gem-studded box would make the perfect keepsake for anyone who appreciates a touch of luxury.

A tie is a classic gift for him. Make it even more enticing by presenting it in a handmade fabric envelope that he can use for travel. Basic sewing skills are all you need to stitch one up from traditional shirting fabric. And don't forget to seal it with a heart tag.

Wool sachets filled with spoonfuls of fragrant dried lavender look right at home among knitted winter garments.

Give flower seeds with little pots to your valentine. Use a rubber stamp to make hearts and sweet messages on the packets.

Even the ribbon and paper on a valentine present can say "I love you." Romantic poetry -- try Byron, Keats, or Shelley -- will provide words appropriate to your amorous circumstance.

Stamped soaps, inspired by candy conversation hearts, are great gifts for friends. Put in cellophane bags tied with tags; adorn with glitter.

Two types of knots, which are symbols of everlasting unity, are showcased in colorful bracelets. These bracelets make great gifts for friends and family.

Create beautiful candy cups with nothing more than plastic cups, crepe paper, and gold trim.

You'll surely win hearts with these confectionery valentines: sugar-cookie lollipops embedded with candy hearts or layered into frosted sandwiches.

This practical valentine befits your favorite bookworm.

Wrapped in pretty paper, these milky fudge hearts are sure to send a romantic message to your valentine.

When dissolved, these bath fizzies reveal secret messages for your valentine.

This heart-covered paper makes a sweet wrapper for Valentine's Day gifts.

Warm someone up by adding a handwritten note to a tea bag. Cut two hearts out of red construction paper using a heart-shaped crafter's hole punch (available at crafts stores). Use a metallic pen to write a short message on one of the hearts. Next, remove a tea-bag tag and, at the end of the string, affix two hearts, back-to-back, using double-sided tape or a stapler. Package bags to give as a present, or steep one in hot water and serve.

Fragrant carnations, which can last a long time out of water, are ideal for reviving the Victorian custom of handheld nosegays. Tucked in the middle is a sweet floral message of affection. The arrangement can be made directly in your hand. Strip the foliage from 2 bunches of carnations in different colors (we used white with pink, but you can also use pink with red). Cut all stems to 6 inches. Holding on to 3 or 4 paler flowers, form them into a heart. Surround them with darker blooms, and then wrap the stems tightly with floral tape. Cover stems with squares of glassine or tissue paper, and tie with a bow.

These petits fours conceal a honeyed, cakey interior beneath a crisp, crackly surface embellished by hand with hearts of jam.

Inspired by period French apothecary packaging that held curatives and medicines, these tiny boxes instead proffer sweet sentiments that may also prove to be just what the doctor ordered.

This Valentine's Day's prettiest presents will arrive in sacks with patterns as delectable as the treats tucked inside.

Surprise a loved one by hanging a heart-shaped container filled with candy on his doorknob or near his computer.

These pendants make heartfelt adornments for both friends and kids.

All it takes to propagate African violets is a large healthy leaf, cut in half. Turn it into a pretty Valentine's Day gift by snipping it into the shape of a heart.

There isn't a kitten that wouldn't purr over these catnip-filled, knitted heart pillows.

These royal-icing-topped sugar cookies bear love notes in text-message lingo.

This flower pin makes a pretty gift for Mom, a sister, or a special friend.  

Stack family photos into playful wall art in the shape of a giant heart.

Dress up orchids, forced amaryllis, and topiaries by repotting them in handsome porcelain containers. Don't forget to tie handwritten care instructions to the pot.

A Shaker-inspired oval wooden box lined with velvet ribbon holds smaller variations of itself, romantic repositories for family heirlooms or favorite baubles.

Learn how to create a beautiful package that opens like a blossom.

A photograph surrounded by a lace-printed mat makes a charming handmade gift.

Give candy boxes a finishing touch that won't be ripped away when your present is opened. Cover containers with a selection of seasonal gift wrap, art paper, ribbon, and twill tape. For chocolates, wrap the cover only, using craft glue or a glue stick as you go. Tuck excess paper inside, and trim the edge with a ribbon or paper strip.

These little sand-filled, pin-adorned pillows will make useful valentines for the seamstress in your life.

Perfect for a friend, sister, or daughter: a cheery felt bag covered with hearts.

If you're giving chocolates as a gift, count the ways sweetly on small paper disks, and place one beneath each candy.

These charming pot holders make sweet Valentine's Day gifts. After all, these mitts are warm and fuzzy inside and all heart on the outside.