Hobby Lobby

* update. They were apologetic and helped make the error correct. It doesn’t fix that it shouldn’t have happened in the first place, but I appreciated that they understood my frustration about having to make a second trip.

Poor customer service. I asked for help finding sandpaper. Was told to go look near the wood section. I had wooden letters in my cart. I let the sales lady know that I’d already looked there and couldn’t find it. She told me to try the craft section… What? Really? That’s like the whole store. Had my newborn with me. Sorry, can’t run around the store aimlessly any longer. Wish someone would have shown me the item I was looking for instead of taking shots in the dark about where it MIGHT be located.

It saddens me to not be able to shop at Hobby Lobby any more. They are close to my house near Monona. The prices are good. And I used to enjoy the weird conservative /​religious vibe, and of course the halo that surrounds the building at dusk.
However, because the ultraChristian owners are so adamant that their female employees not have contraception coverage, that the owners sued and won (by the margin of the all-​Catholic male wing of the US Supreme Court), I will not return to Hobby Lobby.
Michaels is a drive for me, but they have the same inventory and similar prices (and a framing and matting service). I will buy supplies from Dick Blick in Chicago mostly (
). That is a good solution for art supplies and frames, and for many craft supplies as well. Downtown, University Book Store has a great art department, many craft items, and an excellent matting and framing service. Monona has Staples, and they will match Amazon’s prices if you show them a price on your cell phone. Amazon’s price check app will let you scan Staples’ bar codes, which you can then use to get Amazon prices at Staples.

Nope, can do it no longer, back to Michaels. I never review on politics, but you bring a Supreme Court suit to cheap out of paying for employee benefits citing your religious beliefs? You are hypocrites. Your only religious beliefs are the almighty dollar, friends who have worked there AND major media report the only reason you actually close on Sundays is to save money, because your employees can’t get enough hours to qualify for benefits. So you use religion as a screen to advance your political agenda, and I in turn boycott you, that’s freedom baby.

Once upon a time, I was in love with Hobby Lobby. I bought my crafting supplies and my home decorating miscellanea here… couldn’t wait to get my hands on the ad each week. But that was years ago, and these days I almost always walk out empty handed, even if I walk in armed with a list and a coupon.
First… I get the whole vintage/​but not vintage look… today’s version of shabby chic… but when your rustic finish is chipped and shows the plastic base… you are just selling crap. And that is almost entirely what they sell — poorly made, over-​priced junk.
Second… the staff, omg, the staff is not good at their jobs. Unless their jobs are to move slowly, say «uhhh I don’t know» and turn away, and not respond to anything else you say… because if that’s what they were hired to do then they are just fine. They are also good at blocking aisles and not moving when you say «excuse me» — or if you are standing looking at something, they are very good at stocking the shelf in front of you, without saying a word.
Third… so the company has Christian values. Fine. But they seem to pick and choose which values they are going to go along with… paying people poor wages, not training them properly, selling low quality products, selling low quality products made in sweatshops by more people who are being paid an even lower wage… these are not Christian values.
Fourth… the final straw for me: There was a pretty decent line at the registers, and the lone cashier was calling different areas to get someone to open another line — good, right? Well, she paged the framing dept. and this apparently angered the useless manager who was standing watching her, and the mgr. proceeded to berate her in front of everyone, telling her that the framing dept has better things to do than work at the front registers. Are you kidding me? An employee tries to provide good service so you yell at her in front of everyone? I put my items down and left.
Sorry HL, I tried… but I am over you.

I’m very mixed about Hobby Lobby. There are some things I like about it, some things I really dislike, and nothing that I love.
Like:
— They have a wider selection than other local craft stores.
— They finally have a coupon on their website/​app that you can use usually.
— They put out their Christmas stuff in August, and I’m such a Christmas loving sicko that I smile when walking through those aisles even though it’s in the 90s outside.
Dislike:
— Jesus, there is a ton of Jesus stuff all over the place. I think there is more Jesus stuff in here then at your local Christian bookstore.
— Never have any associates on the sales floor to help you in finding something or to answer questions about your crafting.
— Some of the stuff I’ve bought here has been poor quality and needed returning. I’ve now started opening bottles to check things to save myself from another trip.
— closed on Sundays thanks to the above mentioned religious reasons. I like to craft on the weekends, so that can be annoying.
Big tip for anyone shopping there: never pay full price for anything. If it’s not on sale this week, it will be next week. Their sales rotate on schedule. They also tend to have a 40% of any one regularly priced item coupon on their website or app.

Apart from the in-​your-​face JESUS (and I’m a fan of the dude) and the Christmas stuff from August — January, Hobby Lobby is a pretty shnazzy craft chain. It’s nice that they have some fabrics as JoAnn’s seem to have less of that as they get craftier. They just did a mini-​makeover on one half of the store and have really expanded their range of cake decorating/​baking paraphernalia and also seem to have expanded or just re-​arranged in more friendly manner the yarns (which are decent for being mostly acrylics/​blends). They have weekly coupons to get on their website and have a teacher discount (though that’s sometimes hard to get if you have a not-​very-​knowledgable employee). Since it opened, I’ve enjoyed this HL location and it’s looking to keep on the good side in my books.

Well, I never knew or expected nor anticipated folks felt so strongly opposed to Hobby Lobby.
Honey, I love it. Not only do I feel at home. I appreciate places that are closed on Sunday. Nope~ not just for Jesus but as a small business owner (former) Sundays are a day to recoup/​enjoy the family/​run errands. And for employees — it’s a hassle free day off that won’t count towards requested days off for whatever personal time is needed.
Here’s what I appreciate about HobbyLobby:
1) THE PRICE.
2) THE PRODUCT SELECTION
3) The clearance & the FABRIC selection, equally.
* Disclaimer: I cannot sew, but I will staple and hot glue anything to get the look.
Hobby Lobby makes me
HERE’S WHAT CAN IMPROVE:
1) Some items are «Sin Cere» as in the original Greek and Roman meaning. I picked up a Fluer de Lis anticipating it to be heavy based on the look of the object but nope~ just as hollow and light as ever. Then picked up something else never anticipating it to be heavy… BAM…could knock out an intruder.
2) The pillow selection has to come back. We purposefully went so my sorority sister could get pillows that matched mine and nothing.
To their credit, they are rearranging the foot print of the store.
As for service, we only needed help once and the two (2) people that were asked did answer our question but the girl was more confused than I’d expect.
For those that feel like religion should stay out of business; I can respect that. Alternatively, I know what it feels like to be in a place that seems devoid of God or even faith and it’s nice to go someplace where I can not only feel akin but get what I need when I need it without having to shop online.
Think about it: if you spoke a language and no one else around you spoke that language as soon as you meet someone that is a native speaker (or at least fluent) you’ll never shut up. The joy in sharing a like mind/​customs/​habits or traditions warms my heart. I never felt the craft shop, Hobby Lobby, forcing anything on anyone — they simply offer their brand strategy to their target market.
It’s amazing how folks don’t think about things until it’s gone or when they become the minority and I’m not being preachy — trust me — I’m not. Just think about it: that’s human nature. Human Nature to notice things when you’re the minority. Or Miss something when it’s gone.

I’ve been a (reluctant) patron of HL for several years, because it’s the closest craft store to my house. They don’t accept competitor’s coupons, are closed on Sundays for «religious reasons», have an overabundance of crosses and JC paraphenalia, etc., but the last straw for me is the full-​page ad they took out in the local paper, promoting their brand of religion. I’m of the mind that religion, should you choose to practice it, is an intensely private matter, between you and your god or Goddess, as you choose. Or not. Michael’s and Jo-​ann may not be favorites, but anything is better than HL.

Hobby Lobby as a chain is extremely religious, which makes the environment super uncomfortable for customers who are not Christians. It’s also closed on Sundays, which is when I (and many others) have time to do shopping.
The fabric selection is pretty limited, but acceptable if you only need some basics. The other craft sections are really wide, and often you can find stuff here that you can’t get anywhere else in town. The yarn selection is very good.
Prices are right about the same as other craft stores, but Hobby Lobby has fewer coupons, which makes it harder to save.

They do have anything you could ever want in a craft store, but if good customer service is a must this place is not for you. I actually keep trying to go back and have never had one person be friendly or helpful. I even had one employee argue with me and another employee, after asking them a question JUST StARED at me instead of helping me find what I was looking for (potpourri).

Do you have hobbies? Do you like crafty lobbies? Is your name Bobby and you like to drink hot toddies? Okay, that last one didn’t rhyme, but check it out: cold weather is on the horizon and for me that means it’s time to craft it up. I’m no Martha, nor do I want to be, but from time to time, I feel the creative urge and need to get my craft on.
Today I was simply looking for some cheap lamp shades to cover my St. Vinnie’s finds, and I was also on the lookout for clearance mirrors and maybe a blackboard. Holy Mod Podge! This store really has it all. Framing supplies, poster/​foam board, paint and pens of all kinds, beads, yarn, fabric, and a ghastly array of «silk» flowers. If you’re ever looking for a wedge of fake cheese, get it here! :)
So, for selection and diversity of supplies, I would give Hobby Lobby a shining five stars. However, the prices aren’t the best. Although there were «50% off» signs blanketing the shelves, I still don’t want to pay $ 20 for a lamp shade. I’m cheap. There’s a well-​stocked clearance section on the back wall, but it’s hit-​and-​miss. For example, today there was glut of Hannah Montana school supplies. But there were also super cheap fabric remnants and a paint-​by-​numbers kit. I almost fell victim to the kitsch.
Perhaps they have online coupons like Jo-​Ann Fabrics? That would sweeten the deal. Until then, have a good crafternoon!