Michaels

This Michaels has a pretty good selection of all things crafty. Their rhinestones, however, are pretty expensive and their beading stock is pretty limited but they have a little of everything, including some sterling silver findings. Their prices are pretty high but you can print a 40% off coupon from their website almost every week (or get a coupon with your purchase that you can put towards your next purchase) and they have sales fairly often. They don’t carry FireLine (*gasp!* you’ll have to mosey on over to LeBaron for a spool of that stuff) and the black elastic cord they had for stringing was so bad it shredded but they gave me no problems when I returned it. Luckily they have some black ‘Stretch Magic’ in stock now, but only the 1 mm version. The staff are pleasant and depending who you get they may or may not know what you’re talking about, but they always try to help. The store is a little messy but organized for the most part. It is a good all-​around craft store.

To be perfectly honest I had forgotten that Michaels event existed. Being desperate for some cool art supplies recently sent me running to my Unilocal iPhone app to search for arts and crafts supplies. To my surprise there was a Michaels only a 5 – 10 minute drive away — Sweet.
Arriving minutes later I walked in and it was like a kindergarteners supply closet exploded. More arts and crafts supplies than I could use in a life time. I gotta admit I love how they break down the store according to the type of craft you are looking to do — very easy to find what you are looking for with little assistance (more than I can say about other less specialized stores).
The staff were really helpful and were happy to make crafty recommendations for my various projects. However, some of the reccos were a little off and ended up making my crafts much harder than I initially had planned on. I thought perhaps that these folks would be the experts, I’d say when here get a couple of opinions on the best way to do a craft that you are uncertain about, everyone has a different best way to do things.
My one complaint about this place were the prices, very high.
I will return to this location in future for other arts and crafts projects however I may try to find some other options (like the dollar store) for similar supplies first before returning right away.

I prefer this location over the Hwy 7 and Woodbine one by far. It’s much more spacious, well lit and aisles are easy to navigate. Though it’s very difficult to find someone to assist you, an easy walk over to a generally empty cash register will solve that problem in a second.
I love that it wasn’t busy at all. They have many, many options for organizing an event/​party or DIY projects and just a quick walkthrough will give the imagination plenty of fodder for ideas. I wish there were more Canadian options for craft stores (like White Rose from back in the day), but at least this one is still around.
I’ve purchased a small plastic kit case, to serve as a rigid jewellery box for travelling, some embroidery threads, paintbrushes, cards, etc., over time. Michaels definitely has a place in this town.