Estella’s Originals: 

Estella’s Originals is a small business run by Estella Bruneau that sells custom-made jewelry pieces.  

Bruneau is an 11th grader at Bolles who first began selling and making handmade jewelry after the pandemic. “It gave me a small hobby that was easy to do and lots of fun as well,” she said. “I liked the idea of making something with my hands, versus a machine.” 

Since then, her business has grown and she continues to sell rings, bracelets, necklaces, and other jewelry pieces on her Instagram account @estellasoriginals. 

Her products include a variety of beads, wires, shells, and vintage jewelry, all of which she hand makes because she likes “the thought of the product being carefully made, with each detail in mind.” Her process consists of receiving orders from customers, gathering materials, making the products, and then packaging the products with a handwritten note and delivering it. 

“I hope to continue making and selling jewelry in college and maybe one day starting an official website and brand,” she said. Her advice for other people interested in starting a small business is to “just begin somewhere! When you do not know where to start, just start with a small idea.” 

Made by Abbey: 

Abbey Muller is a 12th grader at Bolles who customizes pieces of clothing using machine and hand embroidery. For her, customizing clothing is much more than just a hobby, it is a passion. 

“I first taught myself how to sew around 7 years old and learned how to use a machine around 10. I have been sewing and designing ever since,” Muller said. Recently on her Instagram account @madeby.abbey, she has made custom crewnecks with college logos for seniors who have decided where they want to go to college. 

The process of customizing clothing for her customers starts with either a customer providing their own item of clothing or giving Muller money to buy an item for them. She then works with the customer to make a digital mockup of a design and then programs the design into a computer software. She is then able to transfer the design to her machine where it is then transferred to the item of clothing. If the customer wants hand stitching she will also add that afterwards. Once the product is finished, Muller “loves the incredible feeling of pride and accomplishment after I bring my vision to life even better than I planned.”

For Muller, she “genuinely loves the whole process. It allows me to be creative and bring something new to the table, try new things, and problem solve.”  She also likes being able to “see the smile on the face of the person I made it for knowing it is special to them.” 

To continue her passions into the future, Muller is planning on majoring in business entrepreneurship and marketing with a minor in fashion design, with the hopes of owning her own clothing brand in the future. Her advice for other people interested in starting a small business is to “bring something new to the table and make sure you are passionate about it. Don’t let it just be for the money.”