Celebrate Spartan grads with student-made gifts

Looking for meaningful graduation gifts for a Spartan? Head to Student-Made Michigan State, where every product — from art and apparel to stickers and accessories — is created by MSU students. These student entrepreneurs have turned their interests into thriving small businesses. Since 2023, the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation has partnered with Student-Made to provide a custom-designed, professional online storefront to showcase MSU student businesses.

From cozy crochet creations to handmade jewelry and Spartan-themed trinkets, Student-Made Michigan State features a variety of one-of-a-kind gifts. Each item reflects the creativity and passion of an MSU student. Read on to discover their creations and inspirations and celebrate graduation with something distinctly Spartan.

Timmerman working from her favorite cozy spot in her cozy East Lansing teddy bear crewneck.

For Megan Timmerman, a student in the Master of Social Work program, embroidery began as a way to process grief and hold onto memories after the loss of her grandparents. Her first piece, a crewneck with an East Lansing–inspired embroidered teddy bear sporting MSU colors, was inspired by a shirt her grandmother often wore. Soon after, she created a Detroit Lions teddy bear crewneck to match, honoring her grandparents’ love of the Lions and the many games they watched together.

One of Timmerman’s latest designs, perfect for a graduate looking to display their Michigan pride.

Timmerman has since expanded her collection to include minimalist embroidered tank tops, sweatshirts, T-shirts and sweatpants. Some garments display encouraging phrases like “Have a Good Day” and “One Day at a Time.” Others include delicate cursive writing of “East Lansing, Michigan.”

The brand is named after Timmerman’s emotional support dog, Blu, who provides her with so much comfort. She hopes that her clothes allow people to find a similar feeling.

“My biggest hope for those who buy from Bluthreads is that they feel comfort — like they’re wearing something that loves them back,” she said. “I want Bluthreads to feel like a hug. Like warmth, memory and softness all wrapped into one.”

A 1990 MSU crewneck for sale on Slow Threads’ storefront.

Tyler Slowik is a supply chain management sophomore who supports sustainable fashion by sourcing clothing that is at least 20 years old. His storefront features vintage MSU-branded crewnecks, T-shirts and hoodies. Passionate about the quality of vintage clothing, Slowik is a critic of the modern fashion industry, which often prioritizes quantity over quality. Slow Threads allows Slowik to showcase quality pieces that represent a time capsule of MSU. Different garments capture different eras of MSU branding, trends and even sports history.

A promotional photo for Walker’s collection, featuring her new jogger set with art entitled “Don’t React.”

Brandy Walker, a junior studying human capital and society, showcases two impactful pieces in her online storefront: a sweatshirt and a tote bag, both adorned with original artwork created for the short film NAKED. Created by her sister and MSU alum Brenda Walker, the film explores themes of body image struggles, codependency and colorism, particularly as they affect Black women.

The featured artwork, titled “False Hope,” appears on the tote and the back of the “I Am Beautiful” sweatshirt. It aims to confront internalized beliefs of fabricated beauty standards and challenge the damaging myth that beauty only looks one specific way. Walker’s work brings awareness to the quiet internal battles women in this generation face. She shares a message of healing and empowerment, helping everyone see they are beautiful the way they are.

Canvas tote bags decorated with Walker Art Studios’ original art “False Hope.”

“I hope my products inspire my audience to embrace self-love and block out all the outside noise,” Walker said. “Through my art, I want people to feel empowered — to truly believe that they are beautiful inside and out, no matter what society says or how others may view them.”

Walker’s professional creative journey began in 2020, when she earned money by shoveling snow to buy her first iPad and digital pencil. During the pandemic, she taught herself digital illustration. Her work caught others’ attention, and she was asked to design her high school yearbook cover. That opportunity led to a connection with MSU alum and children’s book author Teberah “Nurse T” Alexander (B.S. Nursing ’03), who believed in Walker’s talent and invested in her business — helping turn her passion into a professional pursuit.

Show your playful Spartan spirit with these delicate earrings featuring the iconic block “S.”

For colorful, pixel-inspired accessories, check out Cherry Loops by Katelyn Coles, a first-year communication student. Her handmade earrings and necklaces feature delicate beaded pendants in the shape of flowers, mini landscapes and the classic Spartan block “S.” Coles’ creativity is inspired by her parents, who helped her get started in crafting. With the support of the Student-Made platform, she took a leap of faith and brought her one-of-a-kind creations to an online marketplace.

“I hope my products help people to be more colorful and feel confident in themselves,” Coles said. “I want my jewelry to be something that people feel beautiful in.”

J. Margaret creations are inspired by the timeless style of pearls and gold in simple designs.

Jewelry is a source of inspiration for marketing junior Jillian Whitley. She grew up admiring the accessories of her mother and great-grandmother and found a meaningful connection to their individual pieces. Whitley created J. Margaret with this in mind, designing and creating pieces with intention and considering what materials and styles have longevity. As a teenager, she saw a gap in the market for something meeting these requirements.

This textured gold pendant with a simple ridge pattern is where simplicity meets style and is made to pair with any look.

“The jewelry within my price range turned my skin green, was not water-safe and followed fleeting micro-trends,” she said. “So, at 16, I began creating timeless designs made with durable, gold-filled materials.”

Whitley uses jewelry to elevate her style. It changes how she carries herself, and she wants her pieces to do the same for others — empowering them to carry on with confidence in their day-to-day lives.

Make graduation a true celebration with these balloon animal earrings.

Rhianna Ungerman, a sophomore studying physiology and neuroscience, was raised in a family of creatives. Her late grandfather made jewelry, practiced leatherworking and did beadwork. Ungerman received many of his pieces and supplies, which led to the beginning of her jewelry-making journey. She now sells four unique pairs of earrings, including balloon animal figurines and pearlescent violet drop earrings.

Ungerman’s grandmother also taught her to crochet when she was young, which is something she still practices today. Being new to the Student-Made platform, she is eager to use these skills to expand her product offerings in the future.

“My grandparents are the reason I am doing this today — my greatest inspiration,” she said.

A delicate strawberry charm adds a sweet surprise to this traditional gold beaded bracelet.

For beaded charm bracelets, check out A.H.S. Beads by physiology sophomore Alexa Shepherd. Her designs feature freshwater pearls, gold-filled beads and a variety of charms. Shepherd has always gravitated towards hands-on, creative hobbies, which is why bracelet-making quickly became a favorite. Her collection includes customizable options, such as Greek letter bracelets for sorority members and bracelets featuring angel numbers.

These purple beaded “lamp earrings” feature cooler tones and a splash of color.

Communication sophomore Defne Levi’s handmade jewelry brings a playful twist to accessories with fun pops of color and asymmetrical designs. She commits to crafting with individuality and artistry. Levi takes pride in creating something unique to reflect the wearer, and her collection offers a fun, eclectic charm.

Brighten up any day with the bright, bold hexagons adorning this crochet bag.

Definitely Crafted’s Student-Made storefront also features colorful crochet purses. Levi’s handmade purses bring the same playful charm as her jewelry, combining bold color choices with creative patterns that make each piece a one-of-a-kind accessory.

More than just a sweet bite. For Ren Phillips, food holds meaning — each bite is a celebration of resilience and gratitude.

Ren Phillips is a senior studying animal science. Her handcrafted accessories are inspired by the pure joy she finds in food and art. The Sphinx Art accessories collection features food-themed earrings along with claw clips decorated to resemble piped cake frosting with sprinkles on top. Phillips draws on her childhood experiences with food insecurity, using art to reclaim joy and turn her love for food and art into something beautiful and shareable.

She always dreamed of starting a small business, and her journey into creative entrepreneurship began unexpectedly with a mural and a chance encounter.

“What started out as a one-time mural commission for a friend’s shop turned into a contract to create a new line of packaging designs for a local organic foods company,” Phillips said. “The owner saw me painting the mural, one thing led to another, and suddenly I was the head designer for Natural Zing, where I got to create food-inspired art professionally.”

These frosted hair clips add a sweet touch to any outfit.

From there, Phillips’ work reached a new level. She began advertising her services and became a successful independent contractor. When she was looking for a way to secure income during her graduate program at MSU, the opportunity to join Student-Made arose and she jumped at the chance. Now, she hopes to create products that speak to the individuality of her customers — supporting their self-expression.

“I think we are what we surround ourselves with, whether it’s people or things,” she said. “If you fill your home with personalized things that bring you joy and comfort, you will be a happier and more peaceful person.”

In addition to her sweets-inspired accessories, Phillips transforms everyday objects like mirrors and photo frames into frosted works of art. They are decorated by hand with piped borders to resemble cake icing. Phillips’ Student-Made storefront also features a vibrant selection of original artwork with bright, bold prints — rooted in her love of nature and desire to create joy.

A cute and cozy baby axolotl, one in a series of small crochet plushies by Truelove. The series also includes a whale and a bunny.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Erika Truelove, a first-year advertising student, channeled her creativity into sewing masks and crocheting plush animals. Not long after, she invested in an iPad and a Cricut, tools that allowed her to bring more of her design ideas to life. Now a college student, Truelove focuses her Student-Made storefront on crochet hats, plushies, keychains and stickers. She prioritizes variety in her creations with the hope that she can offer products to a range of people to create something for everyone.

“I design and create everything myself,” she said. “It’s so rewarding to be able to share that with others, and I hope my creations can bring others happiness.”

Stick Spartan pride to any surface with these Green and White themed stickers.

In addition to wonderful crochet creations, Designs by Erika also offers a variety of fun stickers and keychains. And, if you are looking for a unique way to display a photo, she sells custom clay photo stands in miniature figurines of bears, cakes, clouds and mushrooms.

Hadley Crochets features plushies of bees, bunnies, ducks and ghosts.

Creative advertising junior Hadley Urrutia learned to crochet at age 14. She began crocheting hats and scarves, eventually challenging herself to make crochet plushies. Urrutia found the most joy in creating these cozy characters, and when she shared them, others responded with the same enthusiasm. In addition to cuddly plushies, she crochets keychains to offer comfort on the go. Urrutia takes pride in her ability to bring a sense of comfort to her customers.

One of Egbert’s tree sculptures mounted to a natural branch base.

Julia Egbert is a junior studying interactive games and environmental geoscience. She began her artistic journey by selling her watercolor prints at craft fairs. Over time, she expanded her presence online and introduced new creations, including comics and handcrafted tree sculptures made from aluminum wire and semiprecious stones.

Each sculpture is one of a kind and fully customizable. Egbert offers a variety of stone options and wire colors. Customers can also choose to have their tree rooted in a decorative pot, mounted on a natural branch base or left unmounted with modular wire roots that can wrap around various surfaces and objects.

For a story told through visual art, check out the self-published comic books Egbert created during her comics classes at MSU.

Dahlias art print by Shreya Balla.

Shreya Balla, an environmental biology junior, shares her strong connection to nature in her original artwork. She turns her drawings and photography into prints to capture and convey nature’s beauty.

Balla also sells two original comic books sharing stories of her journey to self-discovery and overcoming life challenges with powerful reflections.

A colorful abstract piece of art depicting the Great Lakes State through recycled 3D printing filament.

First-year mechanical engineering student Christopher Manwaring is fascinated by 3D printing. He immersed himself in the complexities of designing and producing everyday items and quickly fell in love with the process. Manwaring began by creating a vase, then expanded to magnets, coasters and more — products featured in the Stickers and Small Goods section below.  Often left with extra filament, he came up with an innovative way to recycle it: transforming the leftover material into original artwork.

3D-printed products to display your Michigan pride.

Stuuffy Home also sells 3D-printed magnets, keychains, vases and more. One of Manwaring’s first creations, the set of Michigan magnets, features thoughtful details inspired by the state’s natural beauty. Manwaring hopes his products inspire creativity and intrigue for 3D printing.

Baking by Jade sells customizable cookies on Student-Made for any event or special occasion.

Baking has long been a passion for business management sophomore Jade McLellan. Some of her fondest early memories are of baking with her family during the holidays and making cakes to celebrate her friends’ birthdays. Today, McLellan sells sugar cookies made with care and a deep love for the craft. She believes that bringing genuine care to anything you create is key to producing your best work.

Jackson Keefe, a finance junior, created University Sip to focus on versatile MSU-themed products. Their Student-Made storefront features stainless steel Spartan-inspired insulated cups to help celebrate Green and White on the go.

A little sticker can make a big statement. Help your grad show their personality.

Created in 2020 by Ella Lynch, a senior studying political science, Stuck on You Design Co. offers a colorful collection of keychains, 100% waterproof stickers and koozies. Like many Student-Made creators, Lynch launched her business during the COVID-19 pandemic. She was inspired by the wave of creativity she saw online as people used their extra time to explore new hobbies and crafts. Wanting to spread the same joy and positivity, Lynch began designing her own products.

Since then, Stuck on You Design Co. has gone through a major rebranding to create a cohesive line of bright, summery, playful designs. Lynch adores the refreshed theme for her brand.

“All of the colors work so well together, making it super easy to create products and designs within the color scheme — everything is so versatile and interchangeable,” she said.

Her favorite part of being a student creator is spotting her products in use around campus.

“Nothing makes me happier than knowing people are incorporating my designs and products into their daily lives — it’s the ultimate compliment,” Lynch said.

Help create success for a current Spartan while celebrating a new alumnus and shop Student-Made Michigan State this graduation season. To view the entire collection of items, including products not pictured here, visit the Student-Made Michigan State Products page. To learn more about the student entrepreneurs featured here, visit Student-Made’s Meet the Creators page.