Welcome to the wonderful world of arts and crafts, a place where imagination comes to life! At the heart of this creative universe for many Americans is a familiar name: Michaels. Whether you are a seasoned artist, a DIY home decor enthusiast, or a parent looking for a fun weekend project with the kids, this store has become a go-to destination.
It’s more than just a retail space; it’s a community hub where ideas are born and creativity is celebrated. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about Michaels, from its extensive product range and in-store services to its digital presence and community-building efforts. We will explore how this crafting giant has maintained its position as a leader in the creative industry and why it continues to inspire millions.
Key Takeaways
- Michaels is a leading retailer for arts, crafts, framing, floral, and home decor supplies in North America.
- The store offers a vast selection of products catering to a wide range of creative hobbies and professional needs.
- In-store services like custom framing, classes, and community events add significant value to the customer experience.
- The Michaels Rewards program and weekly coupons provide substantial savings for frequent shoppers.
- The company has a strong online presence, offering e-commerce, project ideas, and digital tutorials to support crafters everywhere.
The History and Growth of Michaels
Every great company has a beginning, and the story of Michaels is one of entrepreneurial spirit. The journey began in 1973 when a man named Michael J. Dupey converted a small department store in Dallas, Texas, into the first Michaels arts and crafts store. His vision was to create a one-stop shop for crafters, a place where they could find everything they needed under one roof. This simple but powerful idea resonated with people, and the business quickly grew. By the mid-1980s, the company had expanded significantly, proving that the demand for creative supplies was massive.
Over the decades, Michaels continued its expansion through strategic acquisitions and by opening new stores across the United States and Canada. This growth wasn’t just about getting bigger; it was about getting better. The company constantly adapted its product offerings to meet changing trends, from scrapbooking in the 90s to the DIY home decor boom of today. This ability to evolve has been a key factor in its long-term success. Today, with over a thousand stores, Michaels stands as a testament to Dupey’s original vision, serving as the largest provider of arts, crafts, framing, and seasonal products for hobbyists and DIYers.
What Can You Find at a Michaels Store?
Walking into a Michaels store is an experience in itself. The aisles are packed with color, texture, and endless possibilities. It’s organized into distinct departments, making it easy to navigate whether you have a specific project in mind or are just browsing for inspiration.
A Paradise for Painters and Artists
For those who love to draw and paint, the fine arts section is a true haven. Here, you’ll find a comprehensive selection of supplies for every skill level.
- Paints: Canvases are lined with tubes and bottles of acrylic, oil, watercolor, and gouache paints from brands like Liquitex, Winsor & Newton, and the affordable Michaels house brand, Artist’s Loft.
- Canvases and Surfaces: From large gallery-wrapped canvases to small canvas boards, wood panels, and watercolor paper pads, there’s a surface for every medium and project size.
- Brushes and Tools: Walls of brushes in various shapes and sizes, palette knives, easels, and palettes ensure you have the right tool for every stroke.
- Drawing Supplies: Sketchbooks, charcoal, pastels, colored pencils, and professional-grade markers from brands like Copic and Prismacolor are readily available.
This section empowers both aspiring artists and seasoned professionals to find exactly what they need to bring their visions to life.
Crafting Supplies for Every Hobby
Beyond the fine arts, Michaels is a treasure trove for all kinds of crafters. The sheer variety can be astounding. If you have a hobby, there’s a good chance Michaels has an aisle dedicated to it. This includes a massive yarn section for knitting and crocheting, with brands ranging from cozy acrylics to luxurious wools. You’ll also find extensive supplies for jewelry making, including beads of every shape and size, wires, clasps, and tools.
Other popular crafting departments include:
- Paper Crafts: An enormous selection of cardstock, scrapbooking paper, stickers, stamps, and embellishments.
- Kid’s Crafts: A dedicated section filled with kid-friendly kits, pipe cleaners, pom-poms, craft sticks, and washable paints.
- Baking and Cake Decorating: Fondant, icing tips, sprinkles, and specialty pans for the creative baker.
- Floral and Greenery: A beautiful assortment of high-quality artificial flowers, wreaths, and floral arrangement supplies.
Home Decor and Seasonal Items
One of the biggest draws of Michaels is its constantly changing selection of home decor and seasonal items. The store transforms with every season, offering decorations for holidays like Halloween, Christmas, Easter, and the Fourth of July. Shoppers flock to Michaels for unique ornaments, festive wreaths, and themed decor that you can’t find anywhere else. Beyond the holidays, there’s a year-round home decor section featuring stylish wall art, decorative storage baskets, vases, candles, and accent furniture. This department is perfect for anyone looking to refresh their living space on a budget, offering a curated collection of trendy and classic pieces.
The Power of a Michaels Coupon
Smart shoppers know that you should rarely, if ever, pay full price at Michaels. The company is famous for its generous coupon policy, which makes crafting significantly more affordable. The most common offer is a coupon for a percentage off any one regular-priced item, typically ranging from 20% to 50% off. These coupons are almost always available on the Michaels website, in their mobile app, and in weekly flyers.
In addition to the single-item coupon, Michaels frequently offers “total purchase” coupons, which apply a discount to your entire sale, including sale items. These are particularly valuable for large shopping trips. It’s a good practice to always check for a coupon before you shop. A quick visit to their website or app can lead to substantial savings. This strategy has built a loyal customer base that feels rewarded for their patronage and keeps them coming back for more supplies.
More Than a Store: In-Store Services
Michaels differentiates itself from other retailers by offering valuable services that enhance the creative journey of its customers. These services turn the store from a simple point of purchase into a hands-on creative resource.
Custom Framing
The custom framing department is one of the cornerstones of the Michaels service offerings. Whether you have a piece of fine art, a family portrait, a sports jersey, or a diploma, the professional framing experts can help you preserve and display it beautifully. The process is collaborative; you work with a team member to select the perfect frame, mat, and glass to complement your piece and your home decor.
They offer a huge variety of styles, from modern and minimalist to ornate and traditional. While custom framing can be an investment, the quality and archival materials used ensure your treasured items are protected for years to come. Michaels often runs significant sales on their framing services, making professional results more accessible.
Classes and Events
To foster a sense of community and help customers learn new skills, Michaels hosts a variety of classes and events in its stores. These workshops cater to all ages and skill levels. For kids, there are often free or low-cost crafting events on weekends, providing a fun and creative outlet. For adults, the classes can range from introductory courses in watercolor painting, knitting, or cake decorating to more advanced project-based workshops. These classes are taught by knowledgeable instructors and provide a great social opportunity to meet other crafters. The schedule of classes is available online, allowing you to sign up for a session that piques your interest and fits your schedule.
The Michaels Rewards Program
For frequent shoppers, the Michaels Rewards program is a must-have. This free loyalty program offers several benefits designed to provide value and encourage repeat business. When you sign up, you become eligible for exclusive member-only offers, early alerts for sales, and receipt-free returns. The core of the program is its rewards system. For every dollar you spend, you earn “Reward Dollars” that can be redeemed for discounts on future purchases.
The program is structured in tiers, so the more you spend, the more you earn back. This system incentivizes crafters to make Michaels their primary source for supplies. It’s an effective way to build customer loyalty, making shoppers feel appreciated. The rewards are automatically tracked through your account, and you receive vouchers via email when you’ve earned enough to redeem, making the process seamless and easy to manage.
Navigating the Michaels Website and App
In today’s digital age, a strong online presence is crucial, and Michaels has invested heavily in its digital platforms. The company’s website, michaels.com, and its mobile app serve as powerful extensions of the physical stores.
Online Shopping Experience
The website offers the full range of products available in stores, plus an expanded “online-only” selection of items. This makes it convenient to shop for supplies from the comfort of your home. You can choose to have items shipped directly to you or use the “Buy Online, Pick Up In Store” (BOPIS) option, which is often ready in just a few hours. The site is well-organized, with powerful search and filter functions that help you quickly find what you need. Customer reviews on product pages also provide valuable insights before you buy.
Project Ideas and Inspiration
Beyond e-commerce, the Michaels website is a rich source of inspiration. The “Projects” section is filled with thousands of DIY ideas and step-by-step tutorials. These guides cover everything from kids’ crafts and holiday decorations to wedding DIYs and home improvement projects. Each project comes with a complete list of required supplies, with direct links to purchase them on the site. This feature is brilliant because it not only inspires creativity but also drives sales by making it incredibly easy for customers to get started. For more tech-related insights and trends, you can explore resources like those found at https://siliconvalleytime.co.uk/.
The Role of Michaels in the DIY Community
Michaels has successfully positioned itself as more than just a retailer; it is an active participant and supporter of the DIY and crafting community. The company understands that crafting is often a social and shared activity. By hosting events, providing educational resources, and engaging with customers on social media, Michaels helps foster connections among makers. Their social media channels are filled with user-generated content, showcasing the incredible things people create with their products. This not only provides authentic marketing but also makes customers feel like they are part of a larger creative family.
The rise of platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok has fueled the DIY movement, and Michaels has expertly leveraged these trends. The company partners with influencers and creators to develop content that aligns with what’s popular online, ensuring their product offerings stay relevant. By embracing the community aspect of crafting, Michaels has built a brand that people feel a personal connection to.
|
Service/Feature |
Description |
Best For |
|---|---|---|
|
Custom Framing |
Professional service to frame art, photos, and memorabilia. |
Preserving and displaying valuable or sentimental items. |
|
In-Store Classes |
Hands-on workshops for various crafts and skills. |
Learning a new hobby or improving existing skills in a group setting. |
|
Michaels Rewards |
Free loyalty program that offers rewards and exclusive discounts. |
Frequent shoppers who want to save money and get special perks. |
|
BOPIS |
Buy Online, Pick Up In Store service. |
Customers who need items quickly and want to avoid shipping fees. |
|
Weekly Ad/Coupons |
Regularly updated discounts on items and total purchases. |
Anyone looking to maximize their savings on every shopping trip. |
Conclusion
For nearly half a century, Michaels has been a cornerstone of the creative community in North America. It has successfully evolved from a single store in Texas to a retail giant by staying true to its core mission: to inspire and enable creativity. Through its vast product selection, valuable in-store services, and savvy marketing with coupons and rewards, the company has built a loyal following of artists, hobbyists, and DIY enthusiasts.
Whether you are embarking on your very first craft project or are a professional artist stocking your studio, Michaels provides the tools, inspiration, and support you need. It has created an environment where anyone can walk in with an idea and walk out with everything they need to make it a reality. As trends change and new hobbies emerge, you can be sure that Michaels will continue to be there, ready to supply the next generation of makers.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: What is the return policy at Michaels?
A: Michaels generally accepts returns of new, unused items within 60 days of purchase with a receipt. If you are a Michaels Rewards member, they can look up your purchase for a receipt-free return. Items returned without a receipt may be eligible for store credit at the lowest selling price.
Q2: Does Michaels offer a teacher discount?
A: Yes, Michaels offers a 15% discount for teachers. To receive the discount, you need to verify your teacher status through the Michaels Rewards program on their website or app. The discount can be applied to your entire purchase in-store and online.
Q3: Can I use more than one coupon at Michaels?
A: Michaels coupon policy typically allows you to use multiple coupons in a single transaction, as long as they are different types of coupons. For example, you can usually use one “percent off a regular-priced item” coupon and one “percent off your total purchase” coupon. However, you cannot stack multiple coupons of the same type. Always read the fine print on each coupon for specific exclusions.
Q4: Does Michaels offer price matching?
A: Yes, Michaels has a price match guarantee. If you find an identical in-stock item for a lower price at a competitor (like Jo-Ann, Hobby Lobby, or Amazon), they will match the price and then beat it by an additional 10%. You must present the competitor’s ad or a photo of it at the time of purchase.
Q5: What are the benefits of the Michaels Rewards program?
A: The Michaels Rewards program is free to join and offers members exclusive offers, receipt-free returns, early alerts for sales, and the ability to earn Reward Dollars on every purchase. These Reward Dollars are issued as vouchers that can be used for discounts on future shopping trips.
