Use them as much as possible when chatting online. ;) I tried flash cards but I find them a bit boring and it's quite tedious to print those cards and cut them out every time.

Another option, which was my answer to a similar question a couple of weeks ago, would be to find some easy children's books using Chinese characters. I recommended 乙乙和丫丫 back then, but I guess I'm a bit prejudiced about those books because the original is in Dutch. (Which is kinda easy for me since I have the original here at home as well, so I can just keep the original next to it.)

hello,I give you some method the same as my grade school.first we learn "pinyin",it`s like phonetic symbol,and try to say some easy sentence.after that you learn some basic strokes to fit together to one hanzi which is easy.For example,一，二，三，四，五....永etc.Because the strokes is only several sorts.The hanzi is many.My English is poor,I am not sure I can help you.Wish you get better and better in English.My MSN:jessehansnow@hotmail.com

u can consult the Chinese dictionary~each word has pinyin~u can learn it by yourself.And u can look for a alphbet~like the English~u know~pingyin is not the most important one~but language skill~hope u can learn good Chinese~

hello,dear Cherry,I think the following ways may help you to learn chinese.
first,you can learn a few simple charaters,such as 大 小 多 少,when you remenber this,try to mke sentence with them.Also you can read some easy books,I t is not only can help you learn chinese,but also can help you learn chinese culture.
second,you can learn the strokes .you can find them in a chinese dictionary.it like english alphbet.It would be much easy for you to learn hanzi if you remember it.
third,you can find some chinese people to practice.It would be my houner answering your question.

a complicated chinese word is constituted by many simple words.in addition,it always has much relation with those simple words for the meaning.for example,树 is constituted by 木，又 and 寸.tree has relation with wood,so 木 is in 树。

put hanzi within ur eyesight! u are familiar with widely used hanzi day by day.
dont care about uncommonly used ones. some chinese persons also dont know them.
carry through firmly to the end with determination.