JOANN, the retail craft chain that first opened in 1943, permanently closed the doors of all its almost 800 stores across the country on May 31 of this year. It served as the primary craft supplier to millions of knitters, crocheters, sewists, and other crafters alike in the United States. 

The nationwide closure followed the company’s filing for bankruptcy twice in less than a year, once in March 2024 and again in January 2025. 

So where did JOANN go wrong? It was a thriving business within the crafting community. I, as well as many of my friends, preferred JOANN to their competitors, Michaels and Hobby Lobby. 

Their recent financial struggles can be attributed to several factors. For one, JOANN’s sales boomed as crafting and DIY projects hit an all-time high during the COVID-19 pandemic. The significant dip in sales in the years following the pandemic proved detrimental to the company, according to the New York Times. As inflation rose, consumers across the retail world were either unwilling or unable to spend their disposable income on non-essential products, such as craft supplies. 

Marketing professor Cait Lamberton at the University of Pennsylvania noted in an interview with Wharton Business Daily that JOANN set itself up for failure in the very design of the store. Crafters require a variety of products, including yarn, fabric, and paint. Meeting customer demands proved to be risky, as providing such a wide array of products was extremely expensive. And with increasing competition from online retailers, such as Michaels and Hobby Lobby, they struggled to keep up.

Inventory shortages and a surmounting amount of debt that had been accumulating since the first bankruptcy were cited as the final nail in the coffin by JOANN in an announcement made in February. 

So what now? Crafters have lost the largest supplier of crafting products, and others are trying to fill the gap. Michaels announced in June that it had acquired the rights to JOANN brands, including the popular yarn brand ‘Big Twist.’ Michaels’ customers were promised a significant expansion of their yarn, sewing, and fabric selections to meet what JOANN had offered, as they hoped “to become the go-to destination for fueling creativity.” The company even created a dedicated landing page on its website for JOANN customers seeking JOANN-like products. 

Many crafters have been dissatisfied with Michaels’ efforts. Crocheter Bridget Brady ‘26 said, “There’s maybe two aisles of yarn [at Michaels] when JOANN used to have five or six rows with a wide variety of brands, colors, and fibers.” Crocheter and sewist Ellie Umstead ‘28 agreed, adding that “JOANN was the go-to fabric store and now I feel limited in the range of fabric and patterns I can choose from.”

Additionally, Hobby Lobby’s yarn selection is seriously lacking in variety, as they carry a large selection of their own brand of yarn but offer a limited selection of others. Amazon is also not a reliable supplier of craft supplies. Customers often have to purchase packs of yarn and fabric, which can get quite expensive. Color and pattern selection is limited, and pricing is inconsistent, often due to the array of third-party sellers on the site. 

“The only good place to buy yarn at this point is at second-hand craft stores. It’s nice to buy second-hand, but it’s difficult to find enough of the same yarn or fabric for larger projects,” noted Brady. 

I have found a range of excellent supplies at affordable prices at second-hand stores, like Cut the Scrap! in Allentown and Lancaster Creative Reuse. I’ve discovered many hidden gems, including brand new yarn from A.C. Moore, a craft chain that went out of business years ago. 

However, these stores are few and far between and not as reliable as major retailers. You can’t always find what you need at a store that relies on donations. 

“It’s nice to buy second-hand, but it’s difficult to find enough of the same yarn or fabric for larger projects,” remarked Brady. She often makes blankets and sweaters, projects that require upwards of five or six skeins of the same yarn, depending on size.

But for crafters, the closing of JOANN stores is not just about the availability of products. It was demoralizing for many in the crafting community who fear a decline in arts and crafts culture.

Umstead described the experience of finding out that JOANN was closing as “devastating and heartbreaking.” She heavily relied on the store to find the supplies she needed.

But crafters are resilient. We will not let this setback break our crafting spirit.