# Hobby Lobby vs Michaels for fall decor

> One shopper's fall bins felt stale, so she hit two craft stores next door to each other to see which one saves the season.
- Title: Hobby Lobby vs Michaels for fall decor · Business Insider
- Summary: One shopper's fall bins felt stale, so she hit two craft stores next door to each other to see which one saves the season. Two craft stores can look…
- Keywords: fall decor, shopping, hobby lobby, michaels, seasonal, business, technology, Hobby, Lobby, fall, decor, Business Insider
- Source: Business Insider — https://businessinsider.com/fall-decoration-shopping-michaels-vs-hobby-lobby-review-halloween-2026-9
- Author: Savannah Born
- Published: 2026-09-14T22:43:49.579+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: fall decor, shopping, hobby lobby, michaels, seasonal, business, technology
## Fall gets her every time
She starts decorating the moment she can smell a new season coming. Fall wins hardest: warm colors, cozy scents, nostalgic accents, pumpkins on everything.

> The instant I sense a new season approaching, or even prematurely "smell it in the air," I'm already excited to decorate.
## The bins felt stale
Unpacking this year's decorations, the whole lineup looked tired. Nothing new, nothing exciting, just the same pieces she had already used.

> my lineup felt stale
## Three holidays, three collections
She decorates separately for fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. All three sets needed refreshing at the same time, which is a lot of shopping.

> all three collections needed some (pumpkin) spice
## Two stores, one building
She went to her nearest Michaels and Hobby Lobby for ideas and found them literally next door to each other, sharing the same building.

> the nearest locations of each craft store were next door to each other, in the same building
## Fall arrives in August
Both stores were already fully stocked in mid-August, with complete fall collections, festive displays, and seasonal sales running.
## The similarities stopped there
Same vibes, same sales, same season on the shelves. Past that surface match, the two stores diverged, and the comparison is where it gets interesting.

> but that's where the similarities ended
## Key takeaway

Two craft stores can look identical from the parking lot and still be very different once you are inside, so it pays to walk both before you commit.