Hello, my name’s Faith and I’m a 5th grader from Washington Elementary school. My shop’s called Faith’s keychains. I was excited when my teacher, Mrs. Bressler, explained to the class what TREP$ was all about. She told us that the school was having a holiday market, called the TREP$ Marketplace, where we’d get to make and sell products of our own. She taught us how to earn more while spending less.
At first, I thought about making superhero-inspired wooden signs, but after researching all the material and costs, I decided to go with a more budget friendly idea; keychains! Besides, who doesn’t love keychains?! 😜Excited to begin immediately, my mom and I bought the resin, molds, and glitter for the keychains. My grandma was the one to teach me how to actually use the resin. We spent nearly a week making superhero, heart, Lego, and mermaid tail shaped keychains. We even made key chains with my school’s logo.
When the TREP$ Marketplace finally came around, I have to admit, I was a bundle of nerves. 😖Don’t get me wrong, I was excited to sell my colorful keychains, but it was the first time I’d done something like this.
In the end however, it turned out to be a great experience! I received lots of helpful critiques from lots of customers. Many of them loved the paw print logos but wished I had made them in more variety (different colors to represent the other schools). After selling 30 keychains, I made a total of $153!!!
Not only did this experience allowed me to gain confidence and allow me to interact with customers, but inspired me to consider different design options for future keychains. I plan on using the money to invest in even more keychains!
I’d like to thank Mrs. Bresser, for teaching us how to make money while staying frugal and spending as little as possible, and TREP$ for providing everyone with this amazing opportunity and educational experience!!
