Michaels

Michael’s as a chain is okay, and as a rule has near craft classes and cake decorating classes and stuff like that. I am not especially crafty but I do look for certain things from time to time, and Michael’s has good coupon deals most of the time.
At this particular location, the customer service has not been great. The staff people were hard to find, and the cashier did not know where to find some things I was looking for. Sometimes they do not have so great of a selection of items, or variety, except for fabric and silk flowers, so off to another place I go.

What do you do when Hobby Lobby is closed on Sunday? Say «Hello» to Michaels!
Personally, I’m more of a Michaels fan anyways because I grew up leafing through their Sunday ads. Way back in the day I used to do a lot of artsy fartsy stuff as a Girl Scout. Fast forward to present day and I’m here doing little projects for work and DIY wedding stuff. Normally I’d scour the net for craft supplies, but going to Michaels is so much easier. The level of organization is on point, but sometimes I have a hard time finding things that were once at a certain spot. You can find virtually everything you need in a variety of brands. The only thing they lack is fabric and all those Simplicity patterns. I’d go to a Joann’s for that.
Even creatively challenged folks can channel their inner Martha Stewart by attending one of their many classes. Learn how to decorate a cake or crochet like a pro.

Michael’s is pretty much the only craft store I go to. They always have coupons varying from 50% off one item to 25% off your entire purchase, etc. This is a great place to buy picture frames! I also have bought yarn here a few times as well. If you’re looking for a store with great deals, you will certainly find that here at Michael’s and there are always a bunch of people around working who can help you find whatever you need.

When I walked into Michael’s I was greeted quickly and asked if I needed help finding anything. I was given perfect directions on how to find the item I was looking for. I then wandered the store and found a couple other items I liked.
When I got to the register to pay one of the items was missing a price tag. The cashier went to find a new one, but brought back one that was much bigger than the one that I had. She started to just ring the larger one up. I told her that’s not what I wanted and she seemed so put out that I didn’t want the larger item. She said «Well if you want to go get one with a price tag, that would really help me do my job.» … oh ok.
When I got back from going to the very back of the store, everyone in line was still waiitng on me and pretty upset with me.
I pulled my phone out to have her scan my 50% off one item coupon. She saw the coupon but the bar code wouldn’t pull up, so she wouldn’t honor it, even though I watched her scan other’s phones ahead of me. So, she obviously doesn’t need to be able to put the coupon in her drawer. She wouldn’t call for help or even ask if she could honor it.
I wasn’t happy with the service but they did have exactly what I was looking for. From now on if I go to Michael’s cause I have a coupon, I will make sure to print it out.

I’m not crafty. I really want to be, and sometimes fancy myself a crafty person. I never think of anything new, but once in a while I can rip something off from Etsy, but it usually requires multiple tries, thus multiple trips to Michael’s.
Also, I’m always a bit baffled by this joint. I don’t know who does their buying, but they clearly aren’t paying attention to the interwebz. My friends and I have projects from Pinterest or Etsy we’d like to try our hands at, but you walk into Michael’s, and with the exception of an overpriced Martha Stewart section, the place hasn’t changed since 1987. Silk flowers and wreath bases, dollhouse furniture and puff paint. Don’t get me wrong, I love the nostalgia that a wall of puff paint affords. But I’m not buying any, and I don’t know who is.
The staff is helpful, there just aren’t many of them so you have to track someone down if you need help finding, say, raffia. (Raffia Rant: What is it? Why is it so hard to find? Isn’t raffia one of those things you sort of have to have in ample supply at a craft shop? Like sort of a basic requirement of being able to call yourself a craft store? Seems to happen every time I try to find raffia).
You just have to watch out. Some things are very affordable, and the specials can be great. But if you’re not paying attention, you could easily pay $ 8.99 for a pad of construction paper you would have assumed costs $ 2. But, you can get a giant tub of sidewalk chalk for $ 2.50 if you’re paying attention.
Convenient location, ample parking, a teacher’s discount, etc., make it a perfectly fine little craft store, and they don’t try and make money selling bible slogan stuff like Lobby Hobby.