Something new has popped up in the MUJI store recently, in the middle of the cosy, homely furniture and knick knacks the brand is known for. From 7-10 August 2025, if you walked past MUJI Plaza Singapura, you may have noticed the booths drawing crowds. These were run by 9 students and alumni from the Student Enterprise Market (SEM), selling their very own creations.

In fact, did you know that this is our third year collaborating with MUJI Singapore? Besides handcrafted products for sale, there were also exclusive workshops to provide visitors with a more personal experience. In light of the overwhelming sign-ups for previous years,there were not 1, not 2, but 3 unique and fun activities to choose from — from crafting your very own unique jewellery pieces with Caylee (@strawberry_champagne_sparkles), to designing your personal postcards with (@ahiruna.co) — or if perfumery is your passion, you could craft a bottle of perfume or sanitizer with @theooctopus_sg).

Participants listening attentively to how they can customise their own jewellery pieces during the workshop (Pictured: Caylee (@strawberry_champagne_sparkles), MUJI workshop participants)

Now, let’s hear what the student entrepreneurs who participated in the 4-day event have to say about their experience! 

Students had the chance to gain experience in marketing their products and engaging with members of the public.

Q. What inspired you to start your business as a student entrepreneur?

Sharon (@theoctopus_sg): I started my scent journey out of curiosity and passion for creating unique scents. I wanted to explore how fragrance can be both affordable and personal, so I began experimenting with small batches and sharing them with friends before turning it into a small business.

Caylee (@strawberry_champagne_sparkles): I went on a picnic with my friend and saw that she was wearing a wire wrapped pendant which made her look very sweet, cute, and youthful. She introduced me to the store she bought the pendants from. She also introduced me to crystal bracelets because it was my birthday and she bought me one as a gift.

Gina (@ahiruna.co): I had always loved drawing and was inspired by the talented artists on youtube and instagram. After my O Levels, I finally had time to try digital drawing. I borrowed my sister’s ipad and my journey began there — back then, there were many artists on instagram turning their art into merchandise which motivated me to do the same as well and I sold online using google forms, Around this time, a kitten sanctuary (a non-profit cat shelter) reached out to me with an opportunity to be a vendor for one of their events. That was my first ever booth~

Wei Xuan (@chapterclay.co): I first started my small business journey in 2020, and I started off by using air dry clay before switching to polymer clay due to its increased durability. I was inspired by the other small businesses that were popping up on Instagram at that time due to Circuit Breaker.

Every student had their own booth and had to make careful decisions on how to place their products to attract customers (Pictured: Pun Ling @lingonjam_andbread)

Q. How did you feel to be able to booth at MUJI Plaza Singapura and showcase your handmade products to the public?

Sharon: The environment was clean and matched well with the concept of my products. It felt special to showcase something handmade to the public in such a well-known retail space.

Wei Xuan: Setting up a booth at MUJI was definitely a great experience due to the high foot traffic near the entrance of the store. The layout of the booths also made it easy for us small business owners to look out for each other when we took toilet or food breaks. I always enjoy putting my art out for people to experience and admire.

Q. Were there any memorable or funny moments during the pop-up event?

Caylee: I was conducting workshops at the event, and a little girl came up to me right as I was ending a workshop and said that she wanted to participate as well. She was very decisive and clearly knew what she wanted, which I found quite funny. So I brought out a couple boxes of beads I thought she would like and she had a lot of fun creating her bracelet.

Gina: On Day 2 of the workshop, I had walk-ins, which were mainly kids. I tried interacting with them, asking them how they were spending their long holiday, even though some of them were pretty shy. After the workshop, they got their parents to fill up my feedback form & shared that they had a fun time decorating. I am really glad that people had fun!

Q. Looking back at when you first started, how do you think your business has grown since?

Wei Xuan: Polymer clay has quite a steep learning curve especially in the beginning. I think over the years I've picked up on many useful techniques for working with the medium that make my work better quality.

Caylee: I think that my work has become a lot more polished, whereby I am making much fewer mistakes and I am much faster in producing my products. I think that my business has definitely grown. In terms of volume, it has increased a little, but I realised that I used to undercharge for my products and decided to raise the prices to something a little more liveable, which has really helped to boost my revenue.

Many had a wide range of items at their booth, fit for every occasion and with something for everyone. (Pictured: YU cookies @yucookies.sg)

Q. What is one lesson or takeaway from this pop-up experience that you’ll carry forward?

Sharon: The biggest takeaway from this pop-up is to connect with people. Beyond just selling, it’s about sharing the story, listening to feedback, and building a small community around the product.

Caylee: One lesson I took away was to start my promotions for the workshops a little earlier, especially during the holiday season, so that people have more time to plan their schedules for their overseas trips while taking my workshop timings into considerations, which would have helped with my sales in terms of the workshops I conducted!

Gina: One lesson I took away from this pop-up is to have more faith in myself, I was afraid of doing workshops, because I wasn’t sure if it would be engaging enough, but it turned out alright & I had fun watching participants creating art!

At the end of the day, it is important to balance running a student enterprise and having fun! (Pictured, from left to right: Yuet Tung and Alyna @witchcrafts_sg)

If you missed the booths this time, you can still get their products at NUS Co-op @ NUS Central Library, outside of these pop-up events. You can also follow us on our Instagram @nus.coop to get the latest updates on events and collaborations, and check out exclusive interviews with our SEM Students and Alumni! 

Heading to the lab and looking for a hair band to tie your hair, anybody?

Our ongoing partnership with MUJI also means that you don’t have to travel across Singapore to get the aesthetic, minimalistic stationery that we all know and love. You can find many beloved products from MUJI stocked at NUS Co-op @ NUS Central Library — ranging from student essentials, like their stationery, to items that could save your life in an emergency.

Interested in SEM? Do check out our FAQ here!

Registration for the 2025 SEM intake is now closed. For more information on and details on how to join the programme for future intakes, click on the link above to find out more.