For this table, we wanted to make layered rice fields, as displayed on these pictures. There will be different levels of these rice fields, descending towards a central plain.

To see how we could create these rice fields, we made a small prototype/proof of concept.
The basic idea will be to use a hot wire foam cutter to cut out the different levels and walls, and to glue them together taking into account the different levels.

Once we validated the prototype, we could start the actual table.
First of all we cut the main levels (first picture). Then, for each of these levels, we carefully cut the part which is going to be the wall of each level. All of this cutting was done using the hot wire foam cutter.

The next step will be to glue the walls to the highest levels using wood glue. These walls will be slightly raised as shown in the picture.

Since the levels were made in 20mm styrofoam, we needed to place some wedges under the highest level. We made these wedges very simply using cardboard.
The wedges and styrofoam were glued together using wood glue.

Our standard 20mm styrofoam was too thick for the lowest levels of the rice fields, so we had to reduce its height. The best tool for kind of operation is a wood saw (*).

Here is the finished structure. Please notice the weights we used to make sure the levels were glued down securely.

We passed the flame of a welding torch (*) very quickly over the table in order to smooth the sharper, more angular parts of the walls and to add some texture to the levels.
We also used some wood Polyfilla and cat litter to simulate the earth on the walls and to texture the central plain.

A first layer of light green paint was applied to all the levels of the rice fields.
Then a darker green was applied on the deepest parts. It was placed very roughly using a large brush and then blended into the light green areas before the paint had dried.

The same method was applied to the highlights, using this time a warm yellow.

At this point, we decided the colors of the rice fields were not rich enough. We added some blue shading, using the same method as for the yellow and the dark green.

The central part of the table, were there are no rice fields, was made using a mixture of brown and the same blue we had applied to the rice fields.
The borders were marked using red.

The finishing steps were as follows:

• A few brushes of brown and gray on the walls.

• A thick layer of gloss varnish on the levels of the rice fields to simulate water.

Here is a more expensive and elaborate variant of this table. It was made using exactly the same principles except the following:

• A static grass gaming mat was placed on the central plain

• The water effects were made using articial water