Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores

The selection here is fine; the staff is inept and rude.
I went with my son to buy some fabric for a holiday gift project. What we needed was immediately behind a sign reading «50% Off — $ 2.99/yd regular $ 5.99/yd». So we selected it, went to pay, and the cashier started ringing up at $ 8.99 per yard — three times the listed price.
I complained, and she said the sale was over. I asked her to come over to the shelf with me, and pointed to the sign. We went back to the register, and a manager came over. She said we had selected fabric that was $ 8.99, not $ 5.99, so the discount did not apply. I said the sign was directly in front of the product. The manager said she was not responsible for that. I said that yes, as the manager, she was.
They ultimately gave us 50% off the $ 8.99, which was still more than the posted $ 2.99, but they were very unpleasant about it.

I’m bummed that other reviewers have had bad experiences with the staff here — my experiences have all been notably positive! Every time I need fabric cut, someone asks me about what project I’m working on, etc. — and they seem genuinely interested, in addition to incredibly patient with the hordes of needy customers (myself of course included.)
In addition to fabrics, this store has a really incredible selection of crafting supplies kind of buried in the back half of the store — check it out sometime and you will be amazed! So many things I could have bought here instead of waiting for them to arrive from the internet.
The coupon situation can be confusing. Def sign up for their app or subscribe to their texts to get coupon updates if you are a frequent shopper. But even if you aren’t, it is worth your 30 seconds to google for coupons before coming in — there is always, truly always, a crazy coupon (often 40% off or better) available. The prices are pretty solid even without the coupons, but the coupons make for some seriously compelling deals.

I’ll bet you are reading this review on your phone. Yes? Great! In that case, before you head into Jo-​Ann Fabric, download their app and check out the coupons available. See any you like? Take a screen shot of that coupon! Ok, now you are ready to walk into the store and see what they have to offer.
Why did we have to take a screenshot of the coupons? Because the store is in the bottom level of the Wheaton Mall, and there is very little cell phone service. The coupons exist mostly online, but a screen shot will work just fine. Of course they also take paper coupons as well, and once you are on their mailing list you will get new coupons in the mail every month. There is something in this store for any person who works with craft supplies, so those coupons will come in handy.
One thing that I wish would arrive in the mail, or that was easier to explore using the app, is the schedule for classes. Classes are offered almost every day. Learn to make jewelry, sew a pair of pants, or decorate a cake. Everything they teach focuses on products available in the store, and you can sign up either at their register or on their website. And yes, you should check for coupons for a discount on the classes as well.
Though this is a smaller store than some of the Jo-​Ann Fabrics I’ve visited in the past, they have managed to cram a huge number of products into a smaller space. Their classroom is small, but the instructors do what they can to give the students the space they need. I’ve found the staff to be helpful, and have never had a problem finding just what I need in order to complete a project.
Did I mention the coupons?

Jo-Ann’s delivers once again. This store is neat and organized! They offer a military discount which is great for non-​coupon items. Go get your summer crafting on at this store in Wheaton mall!

This store has a nice stock of fabrics and crafts. They can be a bit pricey, but always have coupons online and the cashiers can ring them up from a smart phone.
Staff was helpful. The store is clean and organized.

First off: I LOVE Jo-​Ann Fabric. I remember taking trips to Jo-Ann’s with my grandmother when I was a little girl (grandma was a wedding planner before she retired), and it’s always been a go-​to for my crafting projects. I’m no stranger to the store, and consider myself a dedicated customer.
The Jo-​Ann Fabric in Wheaton is sadly not like any other Jo-​Ann Fabric I’ve ever been to. The two stars are because the store is well-​stocked and larger than it looks from the mall entry, and it’s always neat and very well-​organized.
I only gave this location two stars because of the customer service. Some of the ladies who work here seem like they absolutely hate their jobs, and hate you for coming into the store. On multiple occasions, store clerks have rolled their eyes at me simply for bringing fabric to the cutting station — where else am I supposed to go to get it cut?
Because I’m no stranger to crafting projects, I don’t have to ask for help a lot. But I have seen so many customers walking around aimlessly, looking for help. There never seems to be anyone available — it’s like the clerks are hiding. More than once, I’ve seen customers turning to each other for help.
Hopefully, there will be a staff overhaul soon, and the Wheaton Jo-Ann’s will start to employ people who actually love crafting and don’t look at it as a nuisance. Makes sense, right? Until then, be prepared to fend for yourself while shopping (go online and gather everything you’ll need before coming in) and deal with awful attitudes.

The location is great — inside the mall, plenty of parking, across the street from the Metro. It’s a bit small compared to most but has plenty of most everything. Two big problems however:
1) there’s no cell service in the store. I wouldn’t care, but now that the coupons are mostly electronic/​on their app, it causes a lot of problems. You’re better off printing the coupons first instead if you want to be sure you can use them;
2) the staff are super slow and don’t seem to actually know much about the fabric. Somehow the cutting counter always takes at least 25 minutes even when there’s no one in front of me.
All that said, it’s still far and away better than the awful one at Greenbelt and a lot more convenient than Falls Church, so I’ll be back.

This is probably the worst Joann’s I’ve ever been to; but since it’s the only one near Woodbridge, I go to it when I have to. Store is always a mess and unorganized. Long lines, few cutters at the cutting counter. And the black lady that’s constantly yelling out «please be sure to take a number, we only cut in numerical order» is SUPER ANNOYING!!! Post a sign or say it every once in a while; you don’t have to shout it every 2 minutes!!! It’s really annoying when you are in the store for awhile and hear it at least 20 times!!! Plus, I’ve had this same lady be unwilling to look at the fabric that needed to be re-​stocked to see if they had a pattern I was looking for. Isn’t it your job to help!!! It wasn’t even busy at the time I was requesting this either. Really wish there was a better option around here.

I agree with Jules. This store is pretty good — excellent stock and fair service. It is waaaaaay better than the Jo-​Ann dump in Greenbelt.

This location was well stocked, had a decent selection and courteous employees. My only complaint was that all employees seemed to be put on tasks that kept them too busy to be available to help customers. We had to ask a cashier where to find wood stain markers.
The store is bigger than it seems from the entry, but smaller than your average «big» craft store.
Update: I’ve visited a couple more times and found some if the staff can be quite rude. Cashier all but ignored me until another associate asked her to ring me up.

It’s a fabric store, so it’s got that fabric feel to it. Lots of sewing stuff, patterns, crafty things, and fabric!
My one beef with this store is the way they’ve set up the lines to the register. It’s not obvious where to stand in order to wait in line for the next cash register, so it creates a lot of confusion and people unknowingly cut in line. They need to do a better job of corralling shoppers into the single line feed.

Joann’s had me the minute I walked in and there was a table with winter holiday cookie tins, ribbon, plates and napkins for 90% off. The selection was good and most items were winter themed and not so «Christmas» that they couldn’t be used at other times of the year.
This store is bigger than it appears from the entrance as it’s L-​shaped. I was looking for knitting yarn and ended up wandering through most of the store. I didn’t mind as there were so many interesting things to look at. Need Valentine socks? They have them. Valentine’s Day not your thing, how about St. Patrick’s Day socks instead? Tempted by the Flex Hose «as seen on TV», it’s there. But besides all the extras the fabrics, notions, floral, and craft areas seem well stocked with a large selection of items. All the glitter in the jewelry making section made me seriously consider taking a class.
On a freezing cold Friday morning they weren’t very busy and all the staff seemed quite friendly. A mix of adults and young girls arrived at the classroom area and were greeted warmly by the instructor. The man who checked me out was quite pleasant. I didn’t confirm it but their website says the classroom is available for other events (knitting clubs, etc.) when not being used for their classes.
I didn’t check out their art supplies, that’s for another day. If you plan on shopping there check the website for coupons before you go. I will definitely be back when I have plenty of time to explore each aisle.

Oh praise Athena! Suburban Maryland has a fabric store that isn’t the wallet draining G Street or the patience straining JoAnn’s in Greenbelt.
The place isn’t huge. In fact, I don’t think the sales floor is much bigger than the JoAnn’s in Greenbelt. However, it was better organized and stocked. It had a large selection of everything I needed, plus things I didn’t need but somehow wound up in my shopping bag. You know how it is.
The people working there are friendly, the cutting counter is large and there were plenty of staff to keep things moving. I also think there is more fashion fabric at this one, where the JoAnn’s in Gbelt seemed to become mostly quilting after the remodel. No offense quilters, but your thing ain’t my thing.
(Yes, I am aware that JoAnn’s carries other crafty gear for other crafty things, but I don’t do those other crafty things so some other craftster will have to go there and write a review.)
(Also, I don’t mean to trash the Gbelt store. It is a different area and the building it is in is old. I wish JoAnn’s would give that store a little TLC.)