Michaels

This is a pretty standard Michael’s. No surprises. And this one has a pretty sizeable clearance section (which I always appreciate).
But, like every other Michael’s on the planet it suffers from one characteristic that keeps it from being a stellar craft store: their employees are *NOT* real craft people and are, therefore, on average about as knowledgeable on craft materials as I am on nuclear physics. Now, usually I know exactly what I want (or at least what I’m trying to achieve), so this only becomes a problem when I have to ask things like «Do you carry grommets/​upholstery tacks/​frame hinges?» and then I’m met with a blank stare and a slow, drawn-​out, unconvincing, «Nooooo…»
So, to quote Sick-​Boy from Trainspotting, «It’s not bad, but it’s not great either.»

Honestly, I LOVE Michaels. It’s an artist’s (or crafter’s) heaven. HOWEVER – the fact that I only gave it four stars out of five is because when I asked customer service if they carried face paints, they said, «No, we don’t carry face paints, but you can use Tempera paint.»
HECK. NO.
I teach arts and crafts at a day camp in the summer and will be starting my third year in this position next month, and I know my paints. Tempera cracks on skin, and it doesn’t feel so good either. Who should know better than me after trying to paint my co-​workers’ bodies with blue and white Tempera for Color War and seeing what became of it after less than an hour? It cracked, and whatever didn’t crack was sweated off. Honestly, Michaels should dedicate an aisle to face painting supplies so I wouldn’t have to order them online and have to pay ridiculous shipping costs. Besides, professional face paints are FDA approved and I’m not sure the folks there knew how hygienically important it is for face painters (or a budding face painter like myself) to use paints that don’t irritate or harm the skin in anyway.
In spite of all that, I love wandering around Michaels and getting inspiration for new and exciting projects to do not only on my own, but with the kids at the camp where I work.