Here's a cheap and easy way to make your own perfect garden! You will need: Tray Modelling Clay Paper Pen Scissors Sponges Pencil Mirror Tile Cocktail Stick Drinking Straw Sand Soil PVA Glue Elastic Band Bird Seed Old Chess Piece

First, it's best to plan the layout of your garden on a piece of paper, so that you can check it will fit into the tray. You can do any type of garden you like - this plan has a pond, a patio, a path, a lawn and even a washing line!

Once you've completed your design, you can start to build. You can use many different things to make the garden - old sponges, lolly sticks, twigs and bird seed. Plus you'll need a kitchen tray to use as a base.

For a pond, an old mirror tile is perfect. The reflection it gives is very realistic.

Position the mirror tile in one corner.

To create the lawn, roll out some green soft modelling clay onto a board. It needs to be about 0.5cm thick.

Use a plastic knife to cut through the modelling clay to create whatever shaped lawns you like.

Once you've cut the lawn shapes, lay them carefully in position on the tray.

To give the modelling clay a more realistic texture, use a plastic knife, a fork or cocktail stick to create tufts of grass.

Plants are next. To make a green potted palm you'll need a couple of old green scouring pads.

Cut out some leaf shapes using scissors.

When you have cut enough leaf shapes, hold them together with glue, a bag tie or elastic band. When you've made a few bundles, tie the whole lot together with wire.

Position the potted palm where you want it, in another corner of the garden.

To make a tall leylandi tree, all you need are some torn up bits of sponge and an old pencil.

Use strong glue to stick the bits of sponge onto the pencil, building up layers until you have the shape of a tree.

To make a rose flower bed, tape some cut-down drinking straws together to make a surround. Position it then fill with soil.

Pop in some small artificial flowers or cake decorations.

For the path, pour in bird seed. It looks just like gravel.

To turn the pond into a fancy fountain, all you need is an old toy or figure. An old chess piece is perfect!

Coat it in PVA glue.

Roll it in some fine sand, to give it a stone look. Shake off the excess and allow to dry.

Place it in the middle of the mirror tile, to make the pond look like a posh fountain!

You can also add a washing line made from string. Why not make some clothes out of paper?

Paint to finish off - the leylandi should be a bright green and the cut-down drinking straws should be a wooden brown.

To make a patio, you need a light coloured modelling clay. As before, just use a cocktail stick to etch a tile pattern into it.

You can also make a swimming pool by using some aluminuim foil. Different shades of green modelling clay will give you a striped lawn!

If your ideal garden is a snow-covered winter scene, just use white modelling clay and some glitter to give it a cool frosted effect. Try it yourself!