Michaels celebrates big 4-0 with mobile craft tour

IRVING, Texas — To celebrate its 40th birthday, Michaels will launch the first-ever Michaels Craft Tour this month in a specially designed 18-wheeler that features a fully stocked, 1,000-sq.-ft. craft room on the inside.

The tour will travel throughout the U.S. from coast-to-coast, visiting store openings, outdoor festivals and other events along the way.

At each stop, kids and adults can climb aboard the truck to participate in free hands-on crafts. Visitors can also take pictures with Michaels' interactive social media walls and share photos of their crafts through social media channels using hashtag #michaelscrafttour. Other features include TV screens showing Michaels DIY videos.

"We wanted to do something big to celebrate our 40th birthday with our customers, and the Michaels Craft Tour and truck is a one-of-a-kind craft party on wheels," said Michaels director of local marketing Chris Young. "We've been spreading creativity since the first Michaels store opened in Dallas in 1973, and we look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones as we travel the nation."

Michaels creative expert Jo Pearson, known for her how-to videos shown in stores and on the company’s e-commerce site, will join the tour in select stops. The tour will begin in Utah and continue through October.

The company currently owns and operates more than 1,113 Michaels stores in 49 states and Canada and 123 Aaron Brothers stores, and produces 11 exclusive private brands including Recollections, Studio Decor, Bead Landing, Creatology, Ashland, Celebrate It, Art Minds, Artist's Loft, Craft Smart, Loops & Threads and Imagin8.