Hobby Lobby vs. Joann vs. Michaels: Who Has the Best Prices?

When you take just a quick glance, the three major players in the craft store game, which are Hobby Lobby, Joann, and Michaels, all seem the same. But you only have to scratch the surface gently to see the differences. Each store has their own personality…and their own prices. Is Michaels or Hobby Lobby cheaper? What about Joann vs. Michaels? 

Maybe you are a faithful follower of the Hobby Lobby sales schedule. Or maybe you know every way to save at Michaels by heart. Regardless, each of these stores is a “winner” in at least one product category when it comes to price for refilling your craft supply (or sprucing up your home). 

So in the great craft store debate, know that there are Hobby Lobby deals, Michaels coupons, and Joann savings to be had. It’s just some deals are better than others. So let’s get into it.

Before we do, text HACKS to 57299 for smart shopping tips. And download The Krazy Coupon Lady app for the latest deals at your fingertips. 

Joann vs. Michaels vs. Hobby Lobby Price Comparisons

Which store is better for…

Fabric: Hobby Lobby

When you check our price chart above, Hobby Lobby doesn’t initially look like the cheapest for fabric when comparing the gingham cotton and fleece varieties. Rather, they sit right in the middle between Michaels and Joann at regular price. However, keep in mind that fabric by the yard gets a 40% markdown every other week at Hobby Lobby. So that $5.99/yd price tag on the gingham actually comes down to $3.59/yd during their routine fabric sales, meaning Hobby Lobby is cheaper than Michaels when it comes to fabric.

Scrapbooking Materials: Tie — Michaels and Hobby Lobby

We’re calling this one a draw for Michaels and Hobby, and we’ll tell you why. As you can see from the chart, across the board all three retailers have their 12x12 cardstock at the same regular price. The differentiator is really the scrapbooking tools, like the hole-punch. However, between the occasional Michaels 40% off coupon and Michaels Rewards vouchers, plus sales, you can knock their prices down any day of the week. Hobby Lobby offers 40% off scrapbooking supplies every other week, which also provides a stellar discount on top of their already low prices. So we’re calling this one for both Michaels and Hobby Lobby.

Crochet Thread: Hobby Lobby

At regular price, Hobby Lobby’s Artiste Crochet Thread is 40% cheaper than the Aunt Lydia’s brand both Joann and Hobby Lobby carry. That’s quite a difference. At most we’ve seen crochet thread on sale at Joann for 25% off, only bringing it down to $3.74.

Yarn: Tie — Hobby Lobby and Joann

Exclusively looking at regular yarn prices, Hobby Lobby is cheaper than Joann and Michaels. However, when you take into account the Joann 40% off a regular-price item coupon, you could actually get that 6 oz. skein for $3.29. That makes Joann’s yarn cheaper than Hobby Lobby’s 30% off sale price of $3.49 for a skein of the same weight.

Ribbon: Tie — Hobby Lobby and Michaels

Yes, Hobby Lobby is cheaper than Michaels when you look at the satin ribbon at regular price. And when ribbon is on sale at Hobby Lobby every other week, it's 40% off. Which means that satin ribbon goes from $3.99 to $2.39. However, Michaels often has their ribbon sale B2G2 Free. That brings their satin ribbon down to $2.49 a pop. Plus, if you look at the price per yard for their faux linen ribbon and halve that for the same deal, it's only $0.64/yd.

Baking Supplies: Hobby Lobby

We're throwing this one in Hobby Lobby's favor, purely because their baking items are 40% off every other week. There's no waiting for a 40% off coupon at Michaels or Joann. You know when baking supplies will be marked down by 40% at Hobby Lobby because if they aren't on sale the day you walk in, you know they will be the following week.

Storage: Tie — Hobby Lobby

In the storage price wars, Hobby Lobby is cheaper than Michaels and Joann yet again. And that's even after Michaels brought the regular price of their bead storage down by $5 recently. Of course there are still ways to save on storage at Joann and Michaels, but, geez, does Hobby Lobby make it hard for them to win when you run the numbers.

Home Decor: Tie — Joann and Hobby Lobby

The home decor category is a tougher one to decide because there are so many different types of decor ranging in different sizes. Hobby Lobby puts their wall decor on sale at 50% off every other week, which isn't easy to beat. However Joann regularly runs sales as well (just not with the same consistency as Hobby Lobby). But Joann coupons are a thing so sometimes you can score a 40% off coupon on any regular price item.

Honorable Mentions

The numbers above don't lie, but there are other factors to take into consideration when deciding whether Hobby Lobby really is cheaper than Michaels or Joann. Let's look at a few other categories to assess some winners in other ways to save.

Coupons: Joann

They may not be killing it when you look at the regular prices on their items, but Joann's coupon game is on point. That's because not only do they always have a coupon of their own (sometime it's 30% off, other times it's 40%), but they also accept competitor coupons. Hobby Lobby no longer has coupons, but Michaels sure does and Joann will honor those. These coupons can make Joann cheaper than Hobby Lobby, depending on the product.

Clearance: Michaels

All three of these stores have a nice clearance section, but Michaels clearance comes out on top in our book for one very specific reason. Their Michaels $10 grab boxes are top notch. At the end of each season, Michaels loads up all of their unsold clearance once it hits 90% off and divides it among packing boxes. Then, they seal them up and sell them to customers for just $10. Previously we've purchased these boxes and discovered well over $200 worth of merchandise inside.

Shipping: Michaels

Any day of the week when you shop at Michaels.com, you can get free shipping on orders $49+. To achieve free shipping at Joann, you'll typically need an order of $75+, although sometimes they run promos that lower the order minimum for a free ship. And Hobby Lobby, well, they tend to run free shipping on $50+ over weekends, especially since their stores are closed on Sundays. But those promotions tend to be pretty sporadic.

Rewards Program: Michaels

In our experience it's just easier to earn dollar-value rewards through the Michaels Rewards program. You earn 3% in rewards on qualifying purchases. Once you've collected $5 in rewards, a $5 voucher is deposited in your account. Stack these rewards vouchers with coupons for savings that make Michaels cheaper than Hobby Lobby. Additionally, Michaels often has promotions where if you spend $25 in one transaction, you'll earn a $5 reward. So you can often accrue these vouchers pretty quickly.