That sounds like a good idea. As another alternative to the light tent, you may want to try using diffuse window light. It will give a similar, soft quality of light (as long as it's not direct sunlight) but still allow for some shadows to create depth. A lot of food photography uses window light, strong angles, and a shallow depth of field to create interest. You'll probably need to include at least a moderate depth of field to show detail over a larger area, but setting up a little display on a windowsill or shelf near a window can add some spice to the composition. Even hard light might work:

I see what you're saying. That is really nice. I'll give it a try, we have a large window in the living room that gets plenty if indirect light. What I am going to try tomorrow (I've moved this project up by a week) is to take our small dining table outside, and set it with some nice props on the patio. I'll do it in the morning so the light is not direct. I really want to bring out the colors of the pieces.

I'm still working with my little Nikon camera, but am getting better results since learning how to work with the exposure time and white balance.