I shopped at Hobby Lobby and Michaels for fall decorations. I found deals at both, but one had way more Halloween spirit.

Since I visited Hobby Lobby last fall, I knew not to expect to find spooky decorations there. The controversial craft retailer does not sell Halloween merchandise.

Hobby Lobby’s CEO is a devout Christian, and some Christians view Halloween as a pagan holiday and do not celebrate it. Instead, the chain focuses on fall and Thanksgiving decorations.

Walking into my local Hobby Lobby felt like being transported to a pumpkin patch. The store’s entryway was full of scarecrows, hay bales, and other autumnal decor.

Michaels has been celebrating Halloween since July, when the chain began counting down the remaining 100 days to Halloween with early drops of its seasonal collections.

So, I was especially surprised that my local store was lacking in the decor department in its entryway. Instead of the spooky skeletons and pumpkins I knew I’d find inside the store, the entryway greeted me with a few artificial fall flowers in baskets.

Strangely, the entrance did not match the Halloween vibe in the rest of the store at all.

I immediately picked up on the harvest vibes at Hobby Lobby.

Its wares seemed geared toward people who mostly love the fall for visiting pumpkin patches and going apple picking, not trick-or-treating or dressing up in scary costumes.

In addition to artificial pumpkins in all shapes, sizes, and colors, there were Thanksgiving decorations, fall craft items, and more.

Plus, a lot of fall decor was marked 40% off.

In contrast, Michaels seemed to fully lean into the spooky season.

As soon as I hit the sales floor, I was surrounded by skeletons, smiling jack-o-lanterns, sheet ghosts, and just about any kind of Halloween character I could imagine.

The store had everything I’d need to decorate my home for Halloween, from creepy baby dolls to light-up spiderwebs.

Hobby Lobby had aisles and aisles of cute harvest decor, including wall art with autumnal sayings and pumpkins printed with “thankful” and “blessed.”

I also found outdoor decor, such as flags and metal stakes printed with sayings about gratitude and fall.

Michaels had a lot of cute Halloween signs and artwork, from metal black cats for a yard to signs about wishes for walls.

Still, as a person who is nearly a full year sober, I was a bit put off by how some products seemed to lean into “wine mom” culture.

I don’t think Michaels needed Halloween items about alcohol consumption, like the ghost-emblazoned cups that said “Here for the booze” and signs reading “Witch better have my wine!”

Hobby Lobby felt like a great place to shop for creative Thanksgiving crafts for kids. Offerings included placemats to color and kits with materials to make feathered turkeys out of wooden sticks.

My teenage daughter babysits, so I picked up quite a few craft sets that contained everything she’d need to paint fall leaves or create Thanksgiving napkin rings with her clients’ kids.

Ultimately, I’d say it’s the place to go if you’re looking for things to keep your youngest dinner guests busy on Turkey Day.

I also stocked up on babysitting crafts for my daughter at Michaels.

The store had tons of kid-friendly seasonal crafts, from bracelet-making kits and paintable ghost canvases. Even better, a lot of them were marked 40% off when I visited.

Many of these would be great fun for kids at a Halloween party or as items to give to trick-or-treaters.

At Hobby Lobby, I found an assortment of pillows, doormats, tablecloths, and other seasonal linens.

Although a lot of the items were in similar colors and patterns, Michaels didn’t have this many seasonal linens available. Even better, most of the autumnal designs were 40% off here.

I found a full display of trendy, colorful Halloween decor at Michaels when I visited.

Most of these items are part of the chain’s new pink, orange, and white decor line, “Hippie Hallow,” which went viral on TikTok because it features the same colors as the lesbian flag and because it’s pretty cute.

The disco balls, pink fuzzy cats, and orange floral coffin-shaped shelves were unlike a lot of darker seasonal decor in the store. It felt like there was something here for a range of Halloween fans.

In addition to its many Thanksgiving items, Hobby Lobby had endcaps filled with football-season merchandise.

From football-shaped potholders to sporty wall signs, there were many decor options perfect for those who host game-day viewing parties.

Dia de los Muertos is celebrated around the same time as Halloween, so it was nice to see Michaels carry decor items for the holiday again this year.

The Mexican holiday is a time to celebrate loved ones who have died and welcome back the souls of deceased relatives. This year’s selection included things like photo frames for an ofrenda to Day of the Dead skeleton figurines.

Price-wise, it was nice to see another section labeled 40% off at Michaels.

When I went to check if Hobby Lobby had started selling Christmas decor, I was stunned to find about 10 aisles filled with trees, ornaments, nutcrackers, and other wintery items.

In fact, I’d say the seasonal section of the store was split pretty evenly between fall decor and full-on Christmas wares.

If you’re ready to skip Halloween and Thanksgiving and get those Christmas trees out, Hobby Lobby has you covered.

I found minimal Christmas decorations at Michaels in a small section of a single aisle. It had empty plastic ornaments for crafting and a few spools of holiday ribbons but no trees or Santa hats.

Although I’m sure Michaels will prepare for the December holidays in the coming weeks, the craft chain seems like the place to go right now if you’re only looking for Halloween decor.

My local Hobby Lobby had a much larger selection of Thanksgiving and fall decor than the Michaels did. So, if you’re looking for paper goods with turkeys or throw pillows shaped like pumpkins, your best bet may be to head here.

Plus, you can get a head start on planning your Christmas decor while perusing the store’s massive seasonal section.

Michaels had a few Thanksgiving items, like dish towels in fall colors and seasonal artificial florals, but it’s clear this chain’s focus was Halloween.

If you need just one more cute sheet-ghost wall sign or a giant yard skeleton to complete your 2024 Halloween decorating, Michaels is the place to be.