Donna Wu molds her passions into a budding art business.

Wu launched her brand Critter Trinkets in October 2025 and sells clay art pieces, ranging from pins and magnets to hair clips, keychains and more. The brand’s name was inspired by her love for Calico Critters and the miniature trinket pieces she sells, Wu added. The UCLA alumnus said the business began as a hobby last summer, when she started to make art pieces with polymer clay, and after making so many items, she was inspired to start selling the clay trinkets as well.

“I’ve always been a pretty creative and artistic person,” Wu said. “My major didn’t really let me do much creatively, so I really just needed a hobby.”

The computer science and linguistics graduate said she makes all her pieces by hand, which can take between 15 minutes and several hours depending on the piece’s complexity. Wu said she begins her process by drawing inspiration from her everyday life, such as from food dishes or desserts she enjoys. After settling on an idea, the clay artist said she conditions the clay, kneading it with her hands or running it through a clay machine to prepare it for shaping. Wu said she then begins molding the clay based on her design.

One of the biggest evolutions of her sculpting process has been shifting to making items in bulk to improve efficiency, Wu added. She said making items such as bento boxes can be incredibly time-consuming because of the numerous small parts involved, whereas other items like hair clips are relatively easier.

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“It (the clay process) is very hands-on, and you really have to put all your attention into it when you start,” Wu said. “A big annoyance with clay is just how easily it picks up dust. … When you sit down to make a piece, you really have to focus and do it in that session.”

Wu’s former roommate, Jace Fang, said customers are drawn to the products because they find the small, round trinkets to be adorable. The UCLA alumnus added that Wu spends a lot of time thinking about which designs and characters people would enjoy, and her products allow her unique art style to shine through.

“She’s successful because she’s very consistent,” Fang said. “Every day I see her editing videos on her phone … people really appreciate the amount of craftsmanship and time put into it (the trinkets).”

Though the decision to transition to selling her clay creations was made on a whim, as her business has grown she has begun to feel more fear when presenting new ideas because of her own expectations of success, Wu said. However, she added that putting herself out there and sharing her products is a journey that allows her to build her character.

Wu added that she was inspired to share her craft on social media because of how many trinkets she was making, despite having never posted much on social media personally before.

The social media learning curve is still ongoing, Wu said. She added that she finds that sometimes the strangest things can blow up online, while other videos that she put significant effort into may not get much traction at all.

“In the art community, they say being an artist or being a small business forces you to also take on that role of a content creator,” Wu said.

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In addition to selling online, Wu has also started selling her trinkets at in-person markets, such as the Bruin Flea in Westwood and the upcoming Makers Hive Market in Emeryville, California. Wu said the community she has found through these markets has been incredibly helpful in her journey. Although she encounters hate online, Wu said in-person markets have allowed her to meet other artists and interact with customers who have offered a positive response to her products.

Wu’s boyfriend Kainani Dowell, a rising fourth-year computer science and linguistics student, said the quality of Wu’s products sets Critter Trinkets apart. Dowell said Wu is very precise with each item she makes and will redo a piece if even the smallest detail is off. This level of consistency, he added, is uncommon among many vendors.

Looking toward the future, Wu said she is deciding if she will pursue Critter Trinkets full-time but still plans to continue with the business and even explore other art styles, such as stickers of her own trinkets.

“She’s so committed to the craft,” Dowell said. “It’s the kind of stuff she would buy on her own, so she’s really happy making it for other people.”