JULIANA PELAEZ, CULTURE & DIVERSITY EDITOR
Be Unique opened in July 2019 in downtown Waverly, Iowa, during the city’s Ridiculous Days weekend. Be Unique is a store for crafts made by locals, as well as do-ityourself craft kits.
“There are so many different items that we have here, including merchandise that people are bringing in and creating on their own,” Hope Pearson, a Be Unique marketing and social media intern and fourth-year Wartburg College student, said. “It’s just such a great place to come and create and spend time with family, friends and coworkers.”
Be Unique is run and owned by Christi Wedeking, a Waverly resident. Wedeking felt the need for a shop for locals, like Be Unique and was inspired by a trip to Florida. “Whole shops were filled with these booths,” Wedeking said. “They would take their talent and they would sell them in these big shops. I came home and no one had that here. You couldn’t just
rent a huge booth or space where you could do that.”
Be Unique hosts groups who rent out the shop to craft together. The groups range from birthday parties, corporate events, bachelorette parties, bridal showers to baby showers and more. “Waverly needed a place for that to happen,” Wedeking said. “I have an 8-year-old and an 11-yearold and we like to do birthday parties. Having someone bring their children way out into the country for a birthday party [was inconvenient]. We needed a really nice place to do birthday parties.”
In the future, Wedeking hopes to host at least two events per month. No appointment is needed for the public to drop by and craft during store hours.
For more information on Be Unique, go to Facebook at Be Unique Waverly, or visit the shop at 103 East Bremer Avenue, Waverly.
Knight Wire 
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