How about packaging tips for if you're going to SHIP two Ball jars? That's my current headache.

Mine too!

I have given jars of jam as gifts before. You said you're doing "small" jars, but do you mean 4 oz or 8 oz jars? I've done two or three 4 ounce jars in small cellophane bags with that shredded paper stuff you put in gift bags. For the 8 oz jars, I think you'll need a box or basket of some sort. You might take a trip to the local craft store or even a shipping store to look for boxes that are flatter but big enough to hold all the jars. (I think laying them on their sides, labels up, would be the cutest way to do it.) Again, using some filler like paper shreds, folded up towels, etc might make a nice presentation.

I've also shipped jams and I just got small boxes from the packing store, put each jar in a plastic bag, wrapped that in bubble wrap, and then filled the box with some sort of packing material (peanuts, paper, etc). I nestled the jars in tightly and they all arrived with absolutely no problems. I wouldn't say the presentation was gorgeous, but I wanted them to arrive safely rather than look pretty!

For shipping jam in jars - I've also gone the bubble-wrap method, using saved bubble wrap from packages I received. I then stuck the bubble-wrapped jar in a Ziploc bag in case of a break. To fill out the rest of the box, I used either packaging I had saved (like those plastic cushions of air), or popcorn or peanuts. If you put the popcorn or peanuts into sealed plastic bags, they can be consumed upon arrival as well. It can end up being a lot of plastic, but re-using packaging can alleviate the guilt. And they all arrived safely!

If you want to avoid bubble wrap, you could try wrapping your jar in a nice tea towel, then sticking in popcorn. They have cheap ones at Ikea.

If you're looking for details on how to ensure that your jars don't break during shipping, I wrote an entire post about that a couple months back. http://www.foodinjars.com/2010/10/canning-101-how-to-pack-jars-for-shipping/

As for artfully packaging your jars, I sometimes go with bags designed for gifting bottles of wine. Their tall, narrow shape allows you to stack 2 or 3 jars without fear that they'll get knocked over and it looks pretty nice too.

Thanks everyone! Really helpful comments.

While you're at it, Local Kitchen has a template for printing out some really cute labels to put on your lids. It just adds that extra bit of fun, like a bow. :) http://localkitchenblog.com/2010/10/14/labels-a-tutorial/