I built a poker-card sized Mordheim table out of cardboard and popsicle sticks in two days' time once because my buddies and I had a big urge to play Mordheim all of a sudden.
I built the entire packed table (with structures up to 12-14" tall)...and popsicle stick bridges...dusted all of it with various grey/brown spray paint...and we gamed the piss out of it.
Then when all was said and done, I threw it away a few weeks later (no room in my apartment). Cheap and effective. Not pretty but it really worked well.