Materials

Nothing soothes the senses in the garden quite like the sound of flowing water. You don't have to buy an expensive fountain to savor its relaxing melody. You can create your own natural-looking water feature using inexpensive materials.

This inviting terra-cotta fountain is so easy to make that even a youngster can craft it. San Diego's Jeff Wurzbach, now 17, designed and built the fountain when he was just 13 years old. Jeff, who has had a wealth of creativity and a proficiency with power tools since an early age, chose terra-cotta as his medium because he considers it easier to work with than stone.

He recently re-created the assembly process for Garden Ideas & Outdoor Living® and offers these simple step-by-step instructions.

• 16-inch-diameter, 7-inch tall terra-cotta bowl with drainage hole in bottom
• Pond liner (available at home improvement stores)
• 9-inch-wide terra-cotta or glazed ceramic saucer
• Small grounded submersible pump capable of pumping 60-80 gallons per hour
• Flexible plastic tubing
• Bag of rounded pebbles (1/4-1/2 inch)
• 8- to 9-inch terra-cotta sphere (Make sure it is high-fired or it will disintegrate when exposed to water. We used one from White Flower Farm; www.whiteflowerfarm.com; cost about $16)

• String
• Heavy-duty shears
• Drill
• Carbide-tip, masonry, or diamond drill bit (slightly larger than tubing)
• Goggles
• Bucket to wash gravel