Author: Mike Nova

There was no shortage of artificial Christmas trees at either retailer.

Each seemed to sell every variation of tree imaginable. Shoppers could choose between blinking white lights or solid colorful ones, branches covered in snow or lightly flocked with it, and a wide range of heights.

I saw trees that were black, pink, and Grinch-green, as well as ones made from sparkly tinsel. Whatever type of artificial tree you’re dreaming of this year, chances are you’ll find it at either store.

In addition to multipacks of ball-shaped filler baubles for just about any tree-decorating color scheme, each store stocked plenty of specialty ornaments.

I also saw character-themed ornaments — from franchises like Harry Potter and Elf on the Shelf — at both stores.

At Hobby Lobby, I bought a glass camera ornament for my film-loving teenage son.

At Michaels, I grabbed both a monogrammed “P” ornament (for our family’s last name) and a fuzzy felt mouse wearing a Mrs. Claus-style dress and holding a tray of cookies.

Ultimately, my ideal tree would have a mix of fun designs and baubles from Michaels and Hobby Lobby.

Again, anything you could dream of for decking your halls was on offer at Michaels and at Hobby Lobby, from strands of plastic Christmas candies to long swaths of realistic-looking pine garland.

Each store also had a decent selection of seasonal outdoor decorations — light-up figurines, metal yard signs, inflatable lawn figures, and more.

Michaels had arranged its holiday decor by theme in a series of three or four aisles.

I spotted a collection of nutcracker-themed decor and a section for traditional red, white, and green items. The pink-peppermint decorations and vintage-style collection featuring dogs and cats also caught my eye.

Somewhat similar to Michaels, some of Hobby Lobby’s holiday decor was organized by style throughout the store.

I perused adorable snowman items on one set of shelves and a collection of holiday trees and reindeer on another. A whole display was dedicated to Santa, and one shelf was packed with baby-pink and light-blue gingerbread-house-style decorations.

That said, Hobby Lobby’s seasonal displays seemed to be really spread out throughout the store. I had to walk through the front, middle, and back of the building to see everything on offer for the holidays.

Michaels was stocked with a variety of Elf on the Shelf merchandise, including candy, outfits, craft kits, plushies, and games. The store had plenty of actual figurines for sale, too.

If your kids are fans of these characters and all the shenanigans they bring to the holidays, Michaels is a must-visit stop.

I found several aisles at Hobby Lobby with items themed around “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”

The chain seemed to have something for just about every fan of the franchise, from lamps with shades covered in Grinch-green fur to mugs designed to look like Max and Cindy Lou Who

I visited Michaels with my husband and 15-year-old daughter, and we all found decor we enjoyed.

My daughter loved the “silly cats” found across Michaels’ vintage-style Christmas collection.

Meanwhile, my husband was interested in the all-black Christmas decorations from the “Silent Night” collection. These darkly unique nutcrackers, ornaments, figurines, and other decor items would make for a pretty elegant … or spooky … holiday display.

I didn’t see much at Hobby Lobby that strayed too far from what I’d consider traditional Christmas decor.

Many pieces simply featured Santa Claus, trees, candy canes, gingerbread houses, and snowmen without many styles that feel particularly new or different.

Its wide selection of more standard holiday fare certainly isn’t a bad thing, though; it just depends on your style. Plus, classics are often classic for a reason.

Michaels had exactly what my daughter wanted from a holiday-decor shopping experience.

She was thrilled to find tons of unfinished wood holiday village pieces, which she’s seen a lot on TikTok lately.

In fact, the two of us plan to have some of her friends and their moms over soon to paint a DIY Christmas village, and we know where we’ll be buying the supplies.

For now, she picked up a few unfinished wooden nutcrackers to paint.

On the other hand, my teen wasn’t so impressed by the offerings at Hobby Lobby and the style of some of its decor.

“These are as big as I am,” she said as she picked up one of the store’s enormous stuffed gingerbread men. “I don’t get it.”

She didn’t really find any crafts or pieces she wanted to take home, either. However, I found lots of items I loved at Hobby Lobby, from a snowman teapot to Santa espresso cups.

Maybe she’s just not the chain’s target audience.

Both craft and decor retailers seem to always be running sales with a certain percentage off specific items, and the holidays are no exception.

On our trip to Michaels, several craft kits were 30% off, holiday candles were three-for-$9.99, and most holiday decor was on sale for half off.

At Hobby Lobby, everything “Christmas” was 50% off.

Both regularly offer coupons and various promotions throughout the season, so it’s a good idea to keep an eye on each store’s mobile app and weekly ad.

Michaels and Hobby Lobby tend to go all out for Christmas, but I always look to see if they have sections for other winter holidays, such as Hanukkah, Diwali, and Kwanzaa.

Some years, I’ve found displays with items for holidays other than Christmas at Michaels, but I haven’t seen anything yet at my local store.

Given Hobby Lobby’s CEO is a devout Christian and the chain doesn’t even sell Halloween decorations, I wasn’t surprised Christmas was (once again) the only winter holiday I found represented on its shelves.

I found way more seasonal craft supplies at Michaels than at Hobby Lobby, so it’d be my go-to stop for my artsy holiday needs.

The chain impressed me with offerings like craft kits for a range of ages, as well as wooden figurines and ceramic holiday lamps that anyone could personalize.

This week alone, my daughter and I have stopped into our local Michaels twice to buy unfinished wood pieces that we can paint while watching Hallmark holiday movies.

Hobby Lobby was full of items I’d use for hosting, from festive paper goods to ceramic serving platters emblazoned with seasonal sayings and images.

While shopping there, I found baking supplies, gingerbread-house decorating kits, games to play during Christmas dinner, and more.

The retailer would be the perfect spot to pick up everything you need to host a holiday gathering, whether that’s a dinner party or a cookie exchange.

It’s safe to say you could head into Michaels or Hobby Lobby and find everything you need to decorate both the inside and outside of your home for the holidays.

However, the one you should shop at depends on your priorities.

If you’re looking for holiday craft supplies or some DIY inspiration for the season, Michaels may be the place to start. It’s an especially good spot for those wanting more unconventional decor to suit a wider range of tastes and styles.

And if you’re entertaining a lot over this Christmas season, Hobby Lobby should have everything you need. It’s also a solid stop for anyone who wants to decorate their space with more classic seasonal imagery and designs.

Both stores are full to the brim with holiday offerings right now, so you can’t go wrong at either. No matter which you choose to shop at, just remember to stop for a peppermint latte on the way.