While everyone was rushing to find flower bouquets for Valentine’s Day, junior Koda Puth was busy turning her creative passion into profit.

Puth had always been interested in the arts, and it had just so happened that on Valentine’s Day of 2025, her friend wanted to give a bouquet to his girlfriend.

From her prior experience after learning from TikTok, Puth told her friend that she could make a ribbon bouquet.

“It ended up looking good,” Puth said. “I [decided that] I might as well make a business out of it because other people had asked me to make [bouquets].”

Although Puth was hesitant at first with her skills, after a few attempts and encouragement from her mother, she perfected the art of making ribbon bouquets and founded Koda’s Bouquets in February 2025.

“My mom was motivating me to pursue something with my skill, and I didn’t really want to because at the time I was a freshman,” Puth said.

Motivation from Puth’s mother, Edith Puth, led her to continue with her talent. Puth’s mother has always been her number one supporter and is very proud of her daughter

“I am very proud not too much of her success but [of] the way she is utilizing her talents- doing something she is really good at, and enjoys,” Edith Puth said.

Edith Puth said that other students should follow their dreams and not let anyone dictate what they are or are not capable of doing, and to just keep trying.

“Try seven times before you try something new, but always try,” Edith Puth said.

Koda’s Bouquets is a seasonal business that is usually open during the second semester of school since there are a lot more holidays at that time.

Her first real customer was her friend senior Vihaan Tigadikar, who bought a bouquet for his girlfriend.

“I loved her flowers,” Tigadikar said. “I would definitely buy again since I have already bought from her multiple times.”

His girlfriend senior Diya Moudgil, who attends Granada High in Livermore, also really loved what she received.

“They’re really pretty,” Moudgil said. “No flowers from either bouquet have broken over the last year and six months.”

Moudgil said she enjoys the quality of the flowers, and the consistency in Puth’s flowers.

“I definitely would repurchase,” Moudgil said. “They look really nice and I think the price is pretty fair.”

Puth sells two items: bouquets, which is her main item, and leis. She said she enjoys putting the time and effort into each project to ensure the results satisfy the customers.

“I love that I can do crafts and make money and just watch shows and be unbothered,” Puth said.

The bouquets are usually ordered for occasions such as graduation, college presentations, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, and anniversaries.

To make them, Puth ensures she has the different materials that make up her bouquets.

“I need ribbon, hot glue, skewers, wrapping paper, scissors, and also to make time in my schedule and find a good show to watch,” Puth said. “I also need the mental capacity to be motivated to complete it.”

Although Puth is unsure of the specific number of orders she has received, she said it depends on the season and how much she advertises.

“During Valentine’s I’ll get two to three bouquets a week-ish, but I’m not sure,” Puth said. “I never really tracked that.”

Puth said she has made a profit of about $3,500- about $2,000 from leis and $1,500 from bouquets.

Puth juggles both her job and high school together, so having her business open only during the second semester helps her stay on track. However, it leads to ups and downs in her business.

“I dislike that sometimes [the business] can lead to a time crunch because I have other aspects of my life going on, and it’s often hard to fit in time to make the bouquets,” Puth said.

Puth’s business was set to re-open this Valentine’s Day, but she decided not to open yet because she has been trying to juggle two others jobs and her school work.