CREATING THE DIAS

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Now you'll definitely want a protractor for this part of the project to get the angles right. The idea is to use layers of foamcore glued together to make the shape, while the layers help make the stairs. It is easier to make the dais from the top "tier" on down (the plain octagon forms the top tier).

Make the top tier out of five foamcore octagons, each one of the exact same measurements. Each side should measure about 7.5cm/3" long, and remember that the interior angles of an octagon are always 135 degrees. Use a hobby knife to cut out the foamcore shapes – be careful, as always.

Before you cut out the stairs in these octagons, use one of them as a template to make the second, bottom tier. Mark out an octagon of the same dimensions on another layer of foamcore, and then extend the front three sides by around 5cm/2" as shown and mark these new edges. Cut out this distended octagon shape and use it as a template to cut out four more of the same.

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Carefully cut out the stairs on each of the five layers (stagger them, of course) of each tier and glue them together with white PVA glue. If you're careful, you can glue both tiers to each other and then to the insulation foam base while their individual layers dry. Wait for this entire assembly to dry out before you continue with the project.

If you would like additional detail on your dais, you can coat the floor with a very thin layer plaster filler and let it dry. Then, etch in your designs with a strong edge (a pencil or the back edge of a sculpting tool will work just fine) for a realistic, chipped-stonework look. You can carry over this technique across the entire table by adding a similar coat to the insulation foam base.

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