Looking to get the lowest price on crafts and supplies every time you shop? Look no further. From felted wool to blank canvases, the costs of knick knacks and tools at Michaels add up — but there’s always a way to save more, according to deal-finding experts.
Start discounting at Michaels with this comprehensive guide to getting the most value for your money on arts and crafts.
Michaels stores are famous for their weekly 40 percent off coupons that can be used in-store or online. While the 40 percent off coupons aren’t as ubiquitous as they once were, you can still often find coupons that will give you 25, 40, or even 50 percent off your regular priced purchase.
There are other coupon sources, too, says Trae Bodge, Smart Shopping Expert at truetrae.com: “If you don’t mind receiving texts, you can sign up for promotional text alerts, which may include exclusive savings. If texting is too much, try following Michaels on Facebook and Twitter for last-minute sales and exclusive deals. Michaels also has an app, which is a good place to find coupons and offers,” she says. (Still not finding the deal you wanted? Check out our recent story about how to score the best Michaels offers.)
Are you a teacher or a military service member? How about a Girl Scout leader or senior citizen? These affiliations will get you 10 or 15 percent off your purchases every time you visit the store. Military members and seniors get 15 and 10 percent off their entire purchases, respectively. Teachers get 15 percent off non-sale items. To take advantage of these discounts, simply create a Michaels account and upload documentation.
Signing up as a Michaels Rewards member will net you a $5 coupon at signup if you spend $25.
Going forward, you’ll also earn 3% back on eligible purchases (excluding clearance or gift card purchases) every time they shop. Frequent shoppers who spend more than $300 over 12 months earn 6 percent back. Earnings are turned into vouchers that can be spent like cash.
Members may also be eligible to earn on weekly Rewards Specials and Bonus Rewards offers, and may get special offers, deals, and coupons sent directly to their email or app. Plus, members can make returns without a receipt!
At the end of every season Michaels associates put together blind bags (or boxes), selling them for a few dollars. They come in either cardboard boxes or opaque bags, so you don’t know what’s in them, but a recent $5 bag we opened included seasonal decorations, cupcake liners, garland, and a craft kit – definitely worth way more than what we paid. You can usually find the bags in large bins near the checkout counter.
Gift cards are an easy gift for a birthday or December holiday -- 83% of Americans regularly give gift cards for special occasions -- but many gift cards go unused. That same study found that Americans have as much as $21 billion worth of unspent gift cards. While many simply sit in drawers, more than a quarter of recipients have resold a gift card they didn’t want.
Lucky for smart shoppers, plenty of online sites sell gift cards (including Michaels stores gift cards) for a discount. These sites such as Cardcash.com, GiftCash.com, eBay.com, and Raise.com have Michaels gift cards at 5, 10, or even 25 percent off, giving you an instant, extra discount when you hit the store.
It sounds too good to be true, but it’s not. You can actually take surveys and earn Michaels gift cards on a variety of sites and apps. These include Pawns.app and Swagbucks.com. Don’t expect to earn big bucks, but if you have a little time and don’t mind sharing your opinion you may end up with a little extra to spend next time you shop.
Endcaps – the shelves at the end of aisles usually facing the walls – are often used to display discounted merchandise. Michaels uses endcaps for the same purpose — and you can often find highly discounted merchandise that’s up to 70 to 80 percent off.
That’s not the only place you’ll find discounts, though, says Bodge. “If you’re shopping in-store, check the Clearance section,” she says. Feel free to ask a store associate if you can’t find it on your own. “You can also find savings nestled among regularly-priced items,” she adds. Again, Michaels sales associates may be a good resource for you when you’re on the hunt for deals.
Michaels will price match any identical, in-stock items you find in any physical store and a select number of online retailers (Athome.com, Hobbylobby.com, Homedepot.com, Joann.com, Kohls.com, Lowes.com, Officedepot.com, Partycity.com, Popshelf.com, Staples.com, Target.com, and Walmart.com) aside from technology items and sewing machines.
According to a company spokeswoman, the price match only happens if the purchase is the identical item, brand name, size, weight, color, quantity and model number. Plus, the company won’t allow you to use coupons on a price match guarantee purchase. You’ll need to bring or show a version of the ad, printout, or photo with you to the register at the time of purchase.
Bought the item and saw the product cheaper over the next week? No problem. Michaels will do a price adjustment for you for up to seven days after the original purchase date.
From baking to painting to crafting, Michaels offers plenty of fun – and free – classes in its stores. During these classes you’ll get to use and take home supplies such as canvases, yarn, and beads. You may also find that the products used during the classes are on sale if you decide you’d like to continue working in that particular media.
Like Amazon and Etsy, Michaels recently launched its MakerPlace online selling platform. The company is helping crafters set up their own shops to sell their handmade goods. There are two ways to save money on the platform. First, Michaels is giving its platform sellers 3 or 6 percent back on all Michaels purchases. Even more exciting: If you post a how-to or class online you’ll earn commissions on supplies purchased for your class as well as take an 80 percent cut of the class registration fees.
If you are a Michaels super fan and spend lots of time and money in the store, consider applying for a Michaels credit card. The card, which is issued by Comenity Bank, has no annual fee and rewards you with 9 percent cash back on all purchases at Michaels. You’ll also get a 20 percent off coupon to use on your first credit card purchase and free shipping at Michaels.com when you use the card. The annual percentage rate is 29.99 so the card only makes sense if you can pay your balance in full each month. Otherwise, those fun paints and sparkly glitter will end up costing more than if you bought them without a discount.
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KJ Bannan is a veteran writer and editor from New York. She writes about personal finance, health, business, and technology, among other topics. She’s an avid deal-chaser and loves finding big bargains whether she’s shopping online, at a garage sale, or on social media.
