Michaels

Love, love, love the customer service, plus the framing department is exceptional. They are always helpful and go out of their way to give helpful advice, which I love. The only reason they don’t get a 5 star is the SMELL. Too much cinnamon scent in the air anytime of the year. It’s brutally overpowering! Why does it have to be like this? Some people can’t take the smell and I can spell it 10 minutes after I leave the store after being in fresh cold winter air. Otherwise I love it. This Michael’s beats JoAnn’s in Maplewood.

Another case of Unilocaler see Unilocaler do. Kara was the hostess for the Sam W. coming off party. It’s so beautifully decorated and what do I see but some Initials with sparkly lights on the wall. Since I’m redoing my bedroom I thought how cool this would look. She got it at Michael’s near the frames. I’ve never been here but got curious. I couldn’t help but pick up some black and white candles since all the Halloween decorations are out. You really could go dog nuts in here. It’s next to Half Price, so a double whammy.

Every time I go to Michaels I end up sorry. They must have a policy of hiring crabby old ladies or something. Also, if you’re doing the chain craft store thing, JoAnn is cheaper and I have better luck finding the thing I’m looking for there. However, Michaels does have decent prices on custom framing, we have had a bunch of frames made and have been satisfied!

This place is pure EVIL. You know how people say you can never go to Target and leave with just what you came for? Michael’s is worse. Much worse. For an example, I went for some metallic spray paint, so what, $ 3.00 trip? I left spending about $ 75. Yeah, I realize that I need self control, blah blah blah, but seriously, there are so many supplies to assist in creating all that is wonderful in the world of arts and crafts! This place makes me feel ridiculously ambitious. I feel like I can create works better than Picasso! Of course I get home and sit in front of the canvas and wonder what the hell I am doing! But, never the less, I love the evilness that is Michaels and all the fabulous items that beg me to take them home as I walk by them on the cold and lonely shelves! So what if I have to hide the 10 bags in my trunk and slowly but surely sneak them in past my hubby so he doesn’t know I once again lost all self control in the crafting store of the Universe!

I have avoided Michael’s for many years and I am not really sure why. I started going to them again recently and feel the stores definitely have their own personalities.
The Maplewood Michael’s is oddly much like the JoAnn’s two miles away in tone — but not in product. (Maybe the tone here is a Maplewood thing?!?) The cashiers are hit and miss with quality — Either excellent or flaky as all hell. The customer service on the sales floor is non-​existent.
In terms of knitting supplies — they don’t carry double point needles. A standard selection of straight needles but nothing of any level of fanciness. I would rate their needle selection a half star above Wal Mart. (Pretty sad). However they do have a very nice selection of yarn and brands and styles not found at JoAnns. They have a reasonable selection of soy yarn (LOVE SOY YARN!) and organic cotton, etc… As well as your standard acrylics for baby items and wash cloth yarn.
I always feel a little assaulted by crap when I walk into a Michael’s. I love antique stores and I find a degree of clutter comforting — but it always disturbs me at Michael’s stores and this one is no exception. Maybe if the knitting stuff weren’t always in a back corner I wouldn’t feel like I had to safari through beads and fake plants to look at what I need.