For photographing jewelry and small craft items, one way to obtain great results is to use a photo light box.

A photo light box can be built for under $20 using three sheets of foam core board.

Use a halogen desk lamp with a flexible neck for the lighting source.

The total cost for everything should be somewhere around $35.

To build a photo light box, use one full sheet of foam core board for the bottom portion of the light box.

For the two sides, turn another sheet of foam core board sideways and cut it into two equal pieces.

For the back piece, take a third sheet of foam core board, turn it sideways and cut it so that the back wall of the light box will be sixteen inches wide.

Place the grid mark surfaces of the foam core boards so that they face outward. Hold everything together by placing four straight pins into each corner of the light box. For additional strength, duct tape can be used on both outside corners of the light box, covering the straight pins.