The Greener Gifting Gang Podcast

In this episode, I’m joined by the wonderfully creative Aoife Forbes, founder of Forbes Finishings.  I absolutely loved having a conversation with someone who is as obsessed as me about giftwrapping!

Aoife shares how she went from a fast-paced corporate career in PR to discovering the joy and calm of gift wrapping, and how that shift opened the door to a whole new business and a completely different way of working. Her journey is such a brilliant example of allowing a passion to blossom into something much bigger.

You’ll also hear us talk about her dream project, renovating an old ice-cream van and turning it into a travelling gift wrapping studio so she can take beautifully wrapped gifts on the road across the country!

This episode is packed with inspiration for anyone who loves gift wrapping or is building a creative business of their own. If you’ve ever wondered what it would look like to turn your seed of an idea into a business, or if you simply enjoy stories of people following their creative path, you’re going to love this one.  

Connect with Aoife

Instagram @forbesfinishings

Linked In: Aoife Forbes

Website: forbesfinishings.com

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• Join in my free challenge for product makers and sellers w/c 21st September  Unwrap the Potential: Your Product as a Gift 
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In this episode of the Greener Gifting Gang podcast, I’m joined by the brilliant Lorraine Allman, founder of Party Without Plastic a business on a mission to help families and communities celebrate joyfully without mountains of single-use waste.

Lorraine’s journey began with something wonderfully close to home: her young son’s concern for protecting the biodiversity of hedgehogs. That spark of care made Lorraine look more closely at the impact of our celebrations and how small, thoughtful changes can protect the planet without sacrificing any of the fun.

We chat about how reducing single-use plastic at parties and gatherings can make a surprisingly big difference, and we tackle one of the biggest misconceptions head-on: the idea that eco-friendly parties are somehow dull or restrictive. 

Lorraine also shares a treasured gift memory that beautifully captures the emotional side of celebrating sustainably.

And if you’re a small business owner listening in, you’ll definitely want to hear about the amazing eco marketplace Lorraine has built. It brings together planet-friendly party products, décor, and supplies. Your own products might be the perfect fit for her community too!

Whether you’re planning birthday parties, school events, wedding celebrations or family get-togethers, this conversation is full of ideas for celebrating with less waste and more intention.

📌 Links & Resources:

• Explore Party Without Plastic
• Follow Lorraine on Instagram: [@plasticfreeparty]

• Don't forget to follow the show, leave a review, or share this episode with a friend who would find it useful.
• Join in my free challenge for product makers and sellers w/c 21st September  Unwrap the Potential: Your Product as a Gift 
• Follow Giftwrapped by Eve on Instagram
• Join our Giftwrapped by Eve - Support for Product Makers and Sellers Facebook community

In this episode of the Greener Gifting Gang podcast, I’m joined by the inspiring Lizzie George, founder of Love Our Planet with Lizzie, a UK-based business championing sustainable living, refillable probiotic cleaning, and simple eco swaps that don’t cost the earth. After downsizing from a six-bedroom home to life in a motorhome, Lizzie now lives lightly, treads gently, and shares her journey to inspire others to live with less waste and more joy. 

We recorded this conversation back in July, so you’ll hear us mention the Plastic Free July campaign but honestly, the ideas Lizzie shares are useful all year round! She’s all about starting where you are and making small, manageable swaps that add up to a big difference over time.

Lizzie also shares what it’s really like living more sustainably while living in her motorhome including how she handles gift giving (and receiving!) with limited space. Plus, we chat about her ideas for making Secret Santa in the office more meaningful and less wasteful.

If you’ve ever felt unsure where to begin with living greener or how to balance eco values with gift-giving traditions this episode will leave you feeling encouraged and full of ideas.

Join Lizzie's Facebook Community: Love Our Planet with Lizzie

Follow Lizzie on Facebook

Lizzie's Clean Living website

Find out more about the Plastic Free July campaign.

• Don't forget to follow the show, leave a review, or share this episode with a friend who would find it useful.
• Join in my free challenge for product makers and sellers w/c 21st September  Unwrap the Potential: Your Product as a Gift 
• Follow Giftwrapped by Eve on Instagram
• Join our Giftwrapped by Eve - Support for Product Makers and Sellers Facebook community

In this episode, Eve shares three key occasions to focus on in November if you sell giftable products. From festive gifting to team thank-yous and those often-overlooked winter birthdays, discover how to position your products as meaningful, ready-to-give gifts.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to make your products gift-ready for Christmas shoppers
• Ways to promote your products as thoughtful team or client thank-you gifts
• Creative ideas to help winter birthdays stand out from the festive rush

• Don't forget to follow the show, leave a review, or share this episode with a friend who would find it useful.
• Join in my free challenge for product makers and sellers w/c 21st September  Unwrap the Potential: Your Product as a Gift 
• Follow Giftwrapped by Eve on Instagram
• Join our Giftwrapped by Eve - Support for Product Makers and Sellers Facebook community

In this episode of the Greener Gifting Gang, we hear from Amanda Alcock, founder of Random Panda — a business built on the belief that small gifts can make a big impact.

Random Panda started during lockdown 2020, when Amanda was a regional manager with The Body Shop at Home. She wanted to recognise and motivate her team with thoughtful little gifts, but couldn’t find anything that felt personal, affordable, and meaningful — so she started creating her own! What began as a way to connect with her team soon blossomed into a business that helps others do the same.

We chat about what kinds of gifts really make an impact (and why it’s not about how much you spend) as well as the psychology behind giving and recognition.

Of course, we also cover how she’s made Random Panda more sustainable with  greener packaging and wrapping choices.

If you’re a business owner who wants to recognise, motivate, or thank your team and customers in a way that truly sticks, this episode is a must-listen.

Links & Resources:

Explore Amanda’s business: Random Panda website

Join the Random Panda Facebook community.

Follow Random Panda on Instagram: @randompandagifts

• Don't forget to follow the show, leave a review, or share this episode with a friend who would find it useful.
• Join in my free challenge for product makers and sellers w/c 21st September  Unwrap the Potential: Your Product as a Gift 
• Follow Giftwrapped by Eve on Instagram
• Join our Giftwrapped by Eve - Support for Product Makers and Sellers Facebook community

Have you ever thought about how decluttering and gifting might be connected?

In this episode, I chat with Ingrid Jansen, professional organiser and co-founder of The Declutter Hub, about the surprising overlap between simplifying your home and being more intentional with the gifts you give and receive.

We explore how mindful gift giving can support a decluttering journey — reducing overwhelm, creating more meaningful connections, and helping both giver and receiver feel lighter and happier in their spaces.

Ingrid shares her expert insights from years of helping people declutter their homes, and we explore:

• Why clutter often can be generated by the gifts we bring into our homes
• How to communicate gift preferences without feeling awkward
• Thoughtful alternatives to “stuff” that still feel personal and special
• How small businesses can provide a personal service to help people choose gifts intentionally.

Whether you’re on your own decluttering journey or simply want to consider giving more intentionally, this episode will inspire you to see gifting in a whole new light.

Connect with Ingrid and find out more about The Declutter Hub

declutterhub.com

Facebook page @declutterhub

Facebook community: Declutter Hub Community - emotions based decluttering

Instagram: @declutterhub

Podcast < The Declutter Hub in particular, episode 373: intentional giving

• Don't forget to follow the show, leave a review, or share this episode with a friend who would find it useful.
• Join in my free challenge for product makers and sellers w/c 21st September  Unwrap the Potential: Your Product as a Gift 
• Follow Giftwrapped by Eve on Instagram
• Join our Giftwrapped by Eve - Support for Product Makers and Sellers Facebook community

In this episode, I’m joined by Sue Eagle, founder of Eazywraps, who has a real passion for Furoshiki – the beautiful Japanese art of fabric gift wrapping.

Sue shares how her business was born from a love of sustainable living and creativity, and how at Eazywraps, she transforms surplus and deadstock fabrics into stunning, reusable gift wraps. Each piece tells its own story and helps to make gift giving more beautiful, sustainable, and waste-free.

We chat about Sue’s approach to keeping gifting simple and practical, without losing that thoughtful touch and we brainstorm ideas for gifts she could take with her on her charity rickshaw challenge across India!

Most excitingly, we reveal that we’ll be teaming up next weekend at the Home, Life & You Show at ExCeL London on 18th & 19th October, where we’ll be demonstrating Sue’s gorgeous reusable wraps in action. If you’re coming along, make sure to stop by and say hello at the community hub or stand E62!

Join us at Home, Life & You use code GIFTWRAPPED for a £15 weekend or £10 day ticket.

Connect with Sue:

Find out more about Eazywraps and browse the collection at Eazywraps 

Follow Sue on Instagram or Facebook

• Don't forget to follow the show, leave a review, or share this episode with a friend who would find it useful.
• Join in my free challenge for product makers and sellers w/c 21st September  Unwrap the Potential: Your Product as a Gift 
• Follow Giftwrapped by Eve on Instagram
• Join our Giftwrapped by Eve - Support for Product Makers and Sellers Facebook community

In this episode, I’m joined by Anna Green, the founder of Direct Selling Success — and someone who’s been an important part of my own journey in business too.

Anna shares her story of how she got started in direct sales, what she’s learned along the way, and how she now helps network marketers build thriving businesses that feel authentic and enjoyable.

We chat about how to promote your products as gifts in a way that feels natural (and boosts sales at the same time), plus some fun and creative ways to use gifts to reward and motivate your team.

Anna also opens up about her love of choosing thoughtful gifts — and her not-so-secret dislike of the giftwrapping part! (Which, of course, made this such a fun conversation for me.)

If you’re in direct sales or network marketing and want to add more joy, creativity and connection into how you help customer and teamies, this episode is a must-listen.

🎧 Tune in for:

• Anna’s journey in direct sales and what inspired her to start Direct Selling Success
• The power of gifting in network marketing — for customers and team members
• How to weave gifting into your business in simple, genuine ways
• Why rewarding your team thoughtfully builds stronger relationships
• A few laughs about giftwrapping skills (or lack thereof!)

Connect with Anna:
Find Anna and learn more about her work at Direct Selling Success

Find her on socials:  Facebook | Instagram | Tiktok

Listen to Anna's podcast Direct Selling Success, Network Marketing Done Right
Check out the episodes from 24/11/23 and 13/06/24 for Eve's previous chats with Anna.

• Don't forget to follow the show, leave a review, or share this episode with a friend who would find it useful.
• Join in my free challenge for product makers and sellers w/c 21st September  Unwrap the Potential: Your Product as a Gift 
• Follow Giftwrapped by Eve on Instagram
• Join our Giftwrapped by Eve - Support for Product Makers and Sellers Facebook community

Christmas might be the big event on the retail calendar, but if you only promote your products in December, you’re missing out on sales! October brings plenty of reasons why people are already shopping for gifts.

In this episode Eve highlights three gift occasions to promote your products this month before the festive season takes over. By tying your marketing to these occasions, you’ll stay front of mind for your customers and build momentum for Christmas.

Want help spotting all the opportunities in your business? Book a Gift Opportunity Audit with Eve. She'll help you uncover the moments you can use to showcase your products as gifts and create a plan to boost your sales. £99 for the first five people who sign up (usual price £149)

• Don't forget to follow the show, leave a review, or share this episode with a friend who would find it useful.
• Join in my free challenge for product makers and sellers w/c 21st September  Unwrap the Potential: Your Product as a Gift 
• Follow Giftwrapped by Eve on Instagram
• Join our Giftwrapped by Eve - Support for Product Makers and Sellers Facebook community

In this episode of the Greener Gifting Gang, I’m joined by the wonderfully talented Natalie Winder, founder of Metallic Sunflower. Natalie is a calligrapher and who uses the art of beautiful lettering to add that extra layer of meaning to gifts, events, and special moments.

We talk about why Natalie loves calligraphy and the magic of turning words into art. She shares how her work (and teaching the art too) helps people make their gifts and celebrations more personal and memorable.

We also talk about Natalie's own love of choosing gifts, her love-hate relationship with wrapping them and whether there is an etiquette around doing Secret Santa gifting! 

Whether you’re a crafter, a small business owner, or simply someone who loves thoughtful details, you’ll take away inspiration for making your own gifting more intentional and unique.

📌 Links & Resources Mentioned:

• Join us in an online introduction to faux calligraphy masterclass with Natalie and Eve on Monday 6th October - book through the Giftwrapped by Eve website.
• Connect with Natalie on Instagram: @metallic.sunflower or Facebook Metallic Sunflower.
  
  
• Explore her work and download a free guide Begin with a Brush: 10 Top Tips for Beautiful Brush Pen Calligraphy.
  
  
• Metallic Sunflower Calligraphy 
  
  

🎁 If you enjoyed this episode…
Be sure to follow the show so you never miss a conversation about greener gifting, wrapping, and celebrating.

Follow Eve on Instagram @giftwrappedbyeve or Facebook Giftwrapped by Eve
Download free resources at giftwrappedbyeve.com/freebies

• Don't forget to follow the show, leave a review, or share this episode with a friend who would find it useful.
• Join in my free challenge for product makers and sellers w/c 21st September  Unwrap the Potential: Your Product as a Gift 
• Follow Giftwrapped by Eve on Instagram
• Join our Giftwrapped by Eve - Support for Product Makers and Sellers Facebook community