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If you’re a long time crafting connoisseur, you know Hobby Lobby and Michaels are two of the largest arts and crafts retailers in the U.S. Both stores offer their customers a range of various arts and crafts supplies, as well as custom framing, fake flowers, wedding supplies, home accents, and seasonal decor. They also offer many craft classes and special promotions.
With so many similarities, you might wonder, which store is better: Hobby Lobby vs Michaels?
It’s a loaded question that requires some examination. In this head-to-head comparison of Hobby Lobby vs Michaels, we’ll break down what makes each store unique to determine which supplier is best for you.
Selection of Products: Fabrics, Furniture, and Tech, Oh My!
Something to consider when comparing Hobby Lobby vs Michaels is the type of project you’re looking to start. While both stores offer much of the same basic crafting supplies, they vary in their selection of fabric, furniture, and high-tech products.
Fabrics and Sewing – Winner: Hobby Lobby
Hobby Lobby boasts a large in-store fabric section where customers can purchase fabric by the yard. While Michaels also sells fabric, their selection and supply are almost entirely online.
If you’re a sewing enthusiast, you know that being able to select your fabric in person is crucial to bringing your vision to life. By offering an in-store fabric section, Hobby Lobby allows customers to truly see the color and shine of the fabric. Plus, customers can get a sense of one of the most important aspects of fabric—texture. This makes Hobby Lobby the ideal choice for sewing projects. In addition, the Hobby Lobby store has great customer service as employees will offer advice and project ideas.
Furniture and Home Decor – Winner: Hobby Lobby
Hobby Lobby also puts a greater focus on home decorating projects by offering a large selection of furniture. At Hobby Lobby, you can find such items as:
- Shelving units
- Benches
- Room dividers
- Accent tables
Plus, most of the furniture at Hobby Lobby lists for under $100, making it an affordable option.
Michaels’ catalogue of furniture is minimal compared to Hobby Lobby’s. It’s also more expensive, and geared toward furnishing a home office, with items such as:
- Drafting desks
- Workstations
- End tables
On the plus side, Michaels offers curbside pick-up, which makes bringing home your newly purchased furniture very easy.
High-Tech Arts and Crafts – Winner: Michaels
If you’re looking for technology to help take your art to the next level, you’ll want to check out Michaels. Unlike Hobby Lobby, Michaels stocks more high-tech items, including:
- Photo printers
- 3-D printers
- Instant cameras
- Cutting machines
- Sewing machines
Cost vs Quality – Winner: It’s a Tie
When determining whether Hobby Lobby or Michaels is better, another important factor to consider is cost. We took a look at identical products at both stores to find out which store is more budget-friendly. Here’s what we found:
- Liquitex Brand Basic Acrylic Paint (4 oz) – At Hobby Lobby, this 4 oz. tube of paint will cost you $4.99. At Michaels, the same tube of paint sells for $5.49—a fifty cent mark-up.
- Sculpey III Brand Oven-Bake Clay (2 oz) – At Hobby Lobby, you can purchase this oven-bake clay for $2.49 (although at the time of writing this article, the clay was on sale for $1.75). At Michaels, this clay is listed at $2.59.
Generally speaking, Hobby Lobby has lower prices on identical products.
However, while Michaels’ store prices tend to be higher, Michaels also carries a greater range of high-end products. This means that while you may save money at Hobby Lobby, you might miss out on better quality options.
Don’t Discount the Discounts! – Winner: Michaels
Even though Hobby Lobby has lower prices, Michaels has ways of leveling the playing field. One of these ways is by offering special discounts, having a wide range of clearance items and putting out a Michael’s coupon book. These include:
- Senior Discount – Seniors 55 and over can receive 10% off their total order.
- Military Discount – Members of the military can receive 15% off their total purchase.
- Teacher Discount – Teachers can also receive 15% off their total purchase.
If you qualify for any of these discounts, Michaels may be the more cost-effective option for you.
Price Matching
On top of these discounts, Michaels also offers a price matching policy. This means if you can find the exact same product for a lower cost at a different store, Michaels will match that price.
Hobby Lobby has a price-matching policy as well. So why is Michaels’ price matching policy worth mentioning? Michaels vows to go one step further than Hobby Lobby and beat the matching price by 10%.
Adding Convenience to Your Crafting – Winner: Michaels
If you’re a crafter who values the convenience of online shopping, you’ll want to choose Michaels over Hobby Lobby. Not only does Michaels offer an in-store pick-up option for orders placed online, but some items are also available for same-day delivery. Neither of these options are available at Hobby Lobby.
Michaels also offers free online Zoom classes for adults, teens, and kids. To take a class, all you have to do is reserve a spot online beforehand.
If you’re not able to reserve a spot in time, no worries! Michaels posts all of their Zoom classes on their website. This way, you can watch a class whenever it’s convenient for you.
Some of the classes offered are:
- Jewelry-making
- Painting
- Knitting
- Cosplay costume construction
- Small arts and crafts business classes
While Hobby Lobby does not offer online classes in real time, they do post DIY instructional videos on their website.
The Best Choice for Your Crafting Needs – Winner: You!
So which store is the better choice? It all comes down to what you’re looking for.
If your projects depend more on fabric, sewing, or home decor, you’ll want to go to Hobby Lobby. Hobby Lobby is also the more budget-friendly option.
If you’re looking for a wide variety of high-end quality products, or if you prefer the convenience of shopping and learning virtually, Michaels is the best choice for you. While their prices may be slightly higher, you’re more likely to find exactly what you need.
No matter which store you choose, RebateKey offers many Hobby Lobby cashback rebate coupons and promo codes and Michaels discounts that will save you even more money. Check them out before embarking on your next crafting adventure.
Sources:
https://www.hobbylobby.com/Home-Decor-Frames/Furniture/c/3-115
https://www.michaels.com/seniordiscount
https://www.michaels.com/militarydiscount
https://www.michaels.com/teachers
https://www.michaels.com/coupon-policy/ca-coupon-policy.html
