beadbadobeed: a high school project turned business passion
“Take the risk, or miss the chance.” – Elle Obnamia
beadbadoobead is a retail business that sells custom, personalized, handmade, wearable pieces of art, headed by Elle Obnamia, who calls her customers “badoos.”
Founded on March 23, 2023, beadbadoobead started as a major high school group project. Elle, the group’s CEO and current owner, wanted to tackle the challenge of creating products from scratch, expressing to fellow group members that simply buying and reselling items available online would not be as fulfilling or challenging. While they initially considered selling stickers and custom shirts, Elle insisted on a more profitable and seasonal venture: handmade bracelets. At the time, few businesses had offered curated, high-quality beaded pieces, so Elle pushed the idea forward to offer customers and students from their school fashionable and creative accessories. The startup phase required immense time commitment, with all six members spending their free time crafting bracelets, earrings, and rings. They were the only group to make their products entirely from scratch; however, they earned the highest profit in their batch, even selling out their entire inventory within a day.
Following this success, Elle asked her groupmates for permission to have full ownership and continue the business solo. Having loved arts and crafts since childhood, she found managing the business by herself to be a natural transition. After the school year, she used her share of the group’s accumulated income to develop new designs and open a Shopee account. She also spent a long time redesigning the business’s logo. In December 2023, she released her first solo collection of Monster High keychains, which she designed, produced, and packaged herself. She remembers being nervous that no one would buy, but she had two sales just minutes after posting the products online! This made her feel fulfilled and motivated to continue as a solo project. Throughout 2024, she expanded the brand through giveaways, custom commissions, artist collaborations, physical booths, and launching a website for updates. Her work became more intricate as she transitioned from simple beads to materials like wire, polymer clay, and UV resin, turning her accessories into one-of-a-kind artworks. She invested in an oven, a high-end pasta roller, and a UV lamp to be able to work with these materials.
By 2025, she introduced non-tarnish gold pieces and participated in a record number of booths. Despite starting college that same year, she balanced her studies with the business and rediscovered her love for felt, which is a material she used to craft with in her youth. She playfully made a design with it one day, and it surprisingly caught the eye of many. It quickly became viral, and that’s when she started accepting custom designs for it and made the item permanent in store. She also started experimenting with stationery and expanded her collection with two sticker sheet designs.
Demand has grown to an all-time high in 2026, so she hired two staff members to assist with digital files and inventory management while she focuses on production. As an entrepreneurship student, Elle views the past three years as a labor of love rather than a struggle. Supported by family and friends, she remains motivated by the recognition of her art and the connections she makes rather than just profit. She truly loves beadbadoobead, as it hones her skills, helps her manage her future, introduces her to incredible people, and brings her so much joy! Since starting the project in 2023, she has never been bored; thanks to beadbadoobead, Elle discovered her potential, turning an academic requirement into a lifelong dream.
You may contact and/or order from beadbadoobead through the following platforms:
