Weyburn residents should keep their eyes open for Valentine's goodie bags being hidden in the downtown core by none other than Charlene Steinke of Auntie Char's Creationz. If one should find themselves lucky enough to discover one of these prizes, they'll be treated to a few holiday themed items and a coveted crochet heart- One of Auntie Char's signature handmade products.

Operating out of her shared space with Weeburn Hobbies located in the Metro Centre on 3rd St., Charlene crafts unique pieces of memorabilia and merchandise for a wide variety of both niche and pop-culture fandoms. She said that her crocheted customs have been rising in popularity since she opened and thought that a daily giveaway seemed like the perfect opportunity to share the love this Valentine's. 

"I had a lot of customers this year saying that they want stuff that their grandmas used to make, and I can do that for them," she said. "As an auntie, I love giving out love to everybody, and I want few more people to have a bit of 'Auntie Char's' in their homes. So this way they could find where I'm at, and if they need something handmade they can always know where to find me."

The early drops in her daily giveaways featured a crochet heart in the "Zombie Bear" pattern that matches her brand's aesthetic, but later drops will bring new patterns for fans to collect. While some of her more intricate crochet works can take days to complete, Charlene shared that each heart takes only about 10 minutes to put together. She said that the effort of making handmade gifts for her supporters is her way of expressing gratitude towards the community.

"I wanted to give something back to the community for being so supportive of a small business like mine," she said. "I figured that this could be a fun thing, and whoever might need some extra love this Valentine's could look for one of these hearts."

The daily goodie bag drops will end on February 14th with Charlene planning to release multiple hearts on Valentine's Day. She is also exploring the idea of a second round for Easter that could feature custom crocheted eggs hidden around town. Be on the lookout for your own Valentine's gift from Auntie Char and stay tuned to her Facebook Page for future goodie bag announcements.