Express sincere interest in something he does that he takes pride in. 

This could be a sport he plays, volunteer work he does, a hobby, his job, etc. If you would like to know more, ask questions. If you would like to watch him play hockey, go watch one of his games. Be sincere, don't pretend to be interested in something that totally bores you, just to please him.

Laugh at his jokes. 

Be careful not to overdo it, you'll be sure to annoy him if you turn into a giggling teenager whenever he speaks. Just don't be shy about laughing, if you naturally see the humor in his jokes or sarcasm he'll enjoy being around you.

Admire him. 

If you put your mind to it you can find something admirable about everyone. So, discover something about him that you really like and compliment him on that. It could be his skills as a carpenter, his intelligence, how romantic he is, his super friendly personality, etc.

Appreciate the things he does for you. 

If he takes you out for diner, tell him how good the food is, how nice the restaurant is, how much you are enjoying yourself, anything positive about the time you spend together is good.
Even if the night doesn't go as planned, and all seems ruined...look on the bright side, tell him you enjoyed spending time with him (only if you did). You will come across as super positive and everyone wants to be around positive people.

Compliment him on a job well done. 

Did he fix the leaky faucet in the bathroom? Did he solve a big problem at work? Handle a crisis well? Tell him he did a good job, and compliment something specific about what he did. For example, if he renovated the bathroom tell him how much you like the new cupboards he made.