You know those heart-shaped candies you can find just about anywhere this time of year? The ones that would taste good if they didn't feel like antacid tablets? The ones with messages like YO and FAX ME? (The ones I can't stop eating because one of my coworkers has an open jar of them on her desk and encourages us to forage?)

Yeah, it turns out there are a lot of better things to do with those than just eating them out of the box. And you can even make your own, out of pretty much anything edible. Or non-edible, if you're looking for something more permanent. At any rate, I bring you: Ten ways to make conversation hearts more interesting.

1. Make your own

The people over at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories came up with this system. Shortbread cookies + heart-shaped cookie cutter + stencils + food dye = never having to worry about chipping a tooth on a stale heart.

2. Send a twisted message

The title of carbonnyc's photo is, appropriately enough, "Please don't e-mail me."

3. Train your dog

No comment.

4. Make a really, really big one

Again with the evil mad scientists. Their final result is monstrous, and evidently tastes like a toastier version of regular candy hearts.

5. Be both redundant and anatomically correct.
6. Sort them.

7. Just throw them around everywhere.

8. Arrange the random floor hearts into a shape.
9. Make jewelry

CraftyGoat actually made these from polymer clay, but aside from the typeface, they look real.

10. Smush 'em!

Ever felt like someone's stomped on your heart? Well, you can return the favor, without all that pesky blood.