Um - Lord - it feels like an age ago... She stopped feeding to sleep of her own accord, which I was NOT best pleased with. She'd never been put down awake and didn't have a clue, god love her.
So - we started off holding her in a rocking chair next to her bed, and rocking her to sleep, talking about going to bed. Then we'd rock her until she was almost asleep, lower her into (pre-warmed!) bed, pat, rub, sshh for a good while until we were certain she was deeply asleep. After a few days of this we'd put her down when she was more awake - cosy and relaxed, but aware, iyswim? - pat, shh, rub, etc.
Few days later it was cuddle, into bed, and pat/shh to deep sleep - then just still hand resting to deep sleep, plus shh - then sitting next to cot and shh - then sitting across room and shh, then outside room and shh. Each of these steps took a few days - the earlier steps took longer than the later ones - it all seemed to get quicker towards the end.
We had a setback at about 18 mo - she screamed when put into bed, so we bribed her with stories, and reduced this in a similar way. The only remnant is our reciting "The Going to Bed Book" by Sandra Boynton - we know it off by heart, and it's a bedtime ritual. She likes to listen to music when dropping off - she can do without, but we don't have a problem with it - I like to read and listen to the radio, so don't see why she shouldn't have something.
Top tips - make sure you are warm and comfortable - tea/wine to hand is good, and a radio/music player with earphones keeps you sane. I read books with a booklight when sitting next to the cot - stops that feeling of "I'm stuck here please go to sleep NOW", and makes it a relaxing time to just rest yourself.