A composite material for providing at least one of a negative effective permeability and a negative effective permittivity for incident radiation of at least one wavelength is described. The composite material comprises a plurality of three-dimensional resonant cells disposed across a first substrate. Each three-dimensional resonant cell comprises a base substantially parallel to the substrate and at least three sidewalls upwardly extending therefrom. Each upwardly extending sidewall comprises a sidewall substrate having at least one conductor patterned thereon. Each upwardly extending sidewall is fabricated by forming the sidewall substrate as a substantially horizontal layer above the first substrate, lithographically patterning the sidewall substrate with the at least one conductor while horizontally disposed above the first substrate, and tilting up the sidewall substrate to the upwardly extending position.