Passport covers with your name on it

UNUSUAL OFFERINGS

What: Passpotter

Where: Sentosa Boardwalk Bazaar on Saturday, i Light Marina Bay Festival Bazaar on Sunday

Info: Go to www.facebook.com/passpotter. singapore or follow @passpotter on Instagram

Ms Mayrine Yu was surfing the Net last November when she chanced upon a website selling personalised leather passport covers that let you stamp your name on them. She thought they would make good gifts for Christmas but, instead of buying them, she decided to make them herself.

"I thought they would be more special if they were handmade", says the 25-year-old, a stay-at-home mum with a one-year-old son.

She roped in her husband, Mr Alouis Lim, 26, to help look for synthetic leather suppliers in Bangkok and learnt to make the passport holders from video tutorials on YouTube.

Soon, the couple were accepting orders from family members and friends. The venture grew to become an online business called Passpotter, and now has customers from Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and the United States.

They started renting a booth at flea markets in January and are now at the Sentosa Boardwalk Bazaar almost every Saturday. Mr Lim says that a booth at a bazaar organised by TGIF Bazaars costs $40 to $120, depending on factors such as the size and location of the stall.

"The bazaar is a good way for us to test the waters before we open our own shop," says Mr Lim, who is an insurance agent and part-time actor.

Business has been brisk. They can sell 50 to 100 passport covers at the bazaar a day. These cost $15, including the name-stamping service.

Charms to decorate the covers cost an extra $1 each.

The range of synthetic leather crafts has expanded to include accessories such as bracelets and key chain holders, which are priced from $8 to $20.

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