I shopped for fall decor at Hobby Lobby and Michaels. Both stores were winners — just not for the same holiday.

I shopped for fall decor at Hobby Lobby and Michaels, discovering that both stores had solid offerings but catered to different themes. Savannah Born visited both stores to compare their fall collections. Michaels, located next door to Hobby Lobby in the same building, was a Halloween wonderland filled with spooky decorations, elevated crafts, and eerie themes.

In contrast, Hobby Lobby focused on general fall vibes, Thanksgiving, and did not carry Halloween decor due to its Christian owner's commitment to honoring the Lord. Both stores had festive vibes, seasonal sales, and complete fall collections, even in mid-August. Michaels' Halloween decorations were top-notch, featuring skull-covered wreaths, creepy garlands, life-size dolls, and hanging ghosts.

Hobby Lobby, on the other hand, had harvest figures, garlands, and tabletop "thankful" signs, along with pumpkin-themed items and cozy signs like "Hello, Pumpkin" and "Happy Fall." Michaels had fall candles, including decadent scents like brown-butter pumpkin and apple-streusel coffee cake, while Hobby Lobby's jars were even more aesthetically pleasing.

Hobby Lobby offered a larger selection of tailgate items, including football-shaped bowls, kickoff-ready serving platters, pajama pants, doormats, tabletop decorations, and blankets. Additionally, Hobby Lobby featured an astrology section, including Shakespeare-inspired items, which Savannah Born found the most appealing. Both stores had themed characters, with Michaels offering Halloween-ified versions of Hello Kitty, Lilo & Stitch, Despicable Me, and The Nightmare Before Christmas, while Hobby Lobby had wholesome icons like Minnie Mouse, Charlie Brown, and Snoopy participating in fall activities.