Materials: lentils; dried pulses (kidney, butter, black eye beans), seeds (sunflower, sesame, poppy); CLEAR glue; lid or base of a Dairy Lea cheese box; compass; ribbon; varnish; paint

1.   Paint the inside and outside of the box and leave to try.

2.   Using a piece of paper, draw a circle that is slightly smaller than your box.   This will be used to sketch your design on.  Concentric circles are easy or you could try a more complex design featuring geometric shapes or flowers.

3.   When you have finished your design, copy it onto the bottom of your box.

4.   Decide what kinds of pulses and seeds you should use in each part of your design.  Use a mixture of different shapes and colours.

5.   Spread glue over a small area of the bottom of the box and start to cover that area in seeds.  DO NOT cover the whole of your design because the glue will start to set before you have had a chance to cover it with seeds.

6.   Press the seeds down well with your fingers to make sure they are stuck firmly.  Use a cocktail stick to move fiddly beans into position.

7.   Carry on gluing a small area and filling in your design until you have finished covering the box.

8.   Leave it for a few minutes to dry then cover with varnish and leave to dry once more.

9.   Glue the ribbon all the way around the edge of your plaque.  Use the remaining ribbon to make a bow for the bottom.