The Results
This may seem out of order, but I figure if you don’t like the results the rest of this won’t be worth reading...

These are a couple of the products I shot using the homebrew lightbox.  These images were snapped using a 2MP Canon Powershot S200, running the Remote Capture software so white balance can be configured to Tungsten.  They were then brought into Photoshop Elements for cropping and resizing, and I applied the “Auto Levels” and “Sharpen” filters.  I’m sure someone more skilled with Photoshop could make them look even better, but I was pretty happy considering the low-buck approach used.

Here’s one I had “cut out “ and optimized by someone more skilled in Photoshop than myself:

The Light Box
I did a little web searching, and came across this article on building a lightbox out of PVC pipe.  Since the author seemed to be using it mostly with lights on just the sides, I looked for a way to accomplish the same effect even more cheaply.  Our card table became the first item commandeered, serving as support for the bedsheet - which diffuses the light:

Rather than buy lights specifically for this task, I grabbed my desklamp, nightstand lamp, and 2 table lamps from the living room:

The outer lamps have 100 Watt bulbs, the desklamp has a 200 Watt bulb, and the nightstand lamp has a 60 Watt bulb.  Inside/under the table, the desk lamp is pointed up to bounce the light.  On the underside of the table, I’ve taped a large piece of white construction paper to better reflect the light. 

To create the “seamless” background I started with a piece of newsprint - we have a roll-end that we purchased from the local newspaper for the kids to use.  I taped one end to the top of the table, then unrolled enough underneath for the objects to sit on.  In practice though, I found the newsprint wasn’t quite white enough, so laid another piece of white construction paper on top of it.

The one item I did have to buy was the tabletop tripod - a $6.99 purchase at Circuit City.

One note - it’ll be better on your back to do this on a carpeted floor...