Michaels grab bags (or boxes) hit stores when seasons end and they need to get rid of clearance surplus. When they'll show up in your area does vary a lot by store, but a couple weeks after a major holiday is a safe bet. We found them near us (keep reading to find out what we got) about two weeks after Easter, and each grab bag cost just $10. They're one of our favorite Michaels shopping hacks.
The catch? You won’t know exactly what you’re getting until you open the box. And of course, you won't be able to use Michaels coupons on them, but you can use Michaels Rewards vouchers. Let’s get into what Michaels Grab Bags are exactly, how to get them, and where you can find them.
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What's on this page:
Michaels grab bags are mystery bags (usually with unclaimed clearance items).
These bags contain an assortment of items from various categories, such as art supplies, home decor, and seasonal products, all bundled together at a discounted price. We typically see holiday clearance or seasonal clearance items. No two bags are alike, and the contents depend solely on what your local Michaels has left over.
You can typically find these bags at the very front of the store or near the registers. They are either bags or boxes (more often boxes now) and have a visible “clearance” tag. And, no, you don't have to be a Michaels Rewards member to buy one.
When does Michaels have $5 boxes?
Unfortunately, the Michaels $5 boxes are a thing of the past. Within the past two years, the retailer upped the price of these mystery grab bags or boxes (whatever you like to call them!) to $10. But to be fair, the boxes have gotten bigger, justifying the increase in price.
Michaels Grab Bags April 2026 Edition: We paid just $10 for almost $266.78 of product.
The value of the boxes varies, but we usually score well over $100 worth of product. Though they doubled in price — from $5 to $10 — in late 2022, you still get your money’s worth. One of our own Krazy Coupon Lady team members scored nearly $267 worth of Easter products in April 2026 (even better than the $188 worth of product we got from Easter 2025 clearance).
This was a larger haul than the December Michaels grab box. This one also had more low-priced items, whereas December's box was full of big ticket, higher-quality items.
Here's everything we got in the April 2026 box:
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4 placemats ($9.99 each)
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2 throw pillows ($29.99 each)
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3 wooden Easter plaques ($19.99 each)
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Plastic eggs, 3 ct ($2.99)
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Peeps string lights (no price tag)
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Peeps felt rabbit (no price tag)
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6 glitter eggs ($4.99 each)
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Easter table top decoration ($19.99)
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3 table top chicks decorations ($12.99 each)
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Egg flower pick ($4.99)
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10 yards of ribbon ($9.99)
Estimated Total: $266.78
Check out what we got in our October 2024 grab bag:
Look at clearance shelves often to get an idea of what your store might put in the bags.
Since you already know that stores include seasonal and holiday clearance items in the grab bags, go scope out your store’s sale shelves to get an idea of what could pop up in the $10 box. Look for items from the past holiday or season and also for items marked close to 80% off. It’s likely that those things will end up in a grab bag to make room for the incoming crafts and decor for the next season. See a few vases on the clearance rack you’d love to have? Try to find a grab bag that feels like the vase could be included.
But don’t open the bags in the store. Yes, the suspense kills us too. But the point of these grab bags is that you’re getting a bunch of stuff for cheap in exchange for being surprised. To try for a really good grab bag, pick it up and feel the weight. Give it a (gentle!) shake to see if you can get an idea of what’s inside. No matter what, you’re going to get a decent return on your $10 spent, so be flexible and open-minded.
They’re available in select stores a few random times throughout the year.
So when does Michaels do grab bags? That’s a tough one to answer as it depends on a few things. First and foremost, your location. Not all stores do grab bags, so it’s best to call your local Michaels to ask before you start planning your strategy for the next grab bag event. Second, it depends on the time of year. End-of-season months as well as after holidays are the most common times for grab bag events. Here's when we saw Michaels grab bags in 2024 and 2025:
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Feb. 26, 2024
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April 22, 2024
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Oct. 1, 2024
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Dec. 7, 2024
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Feb. 15, 2025 (in select stores)
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March 6, 2025
We often see grab bags on Mondays or Tuesdays when the seasonal or holiday clearance sections hit around 80% off. But we've also spotted them on Fridays and weekends too. Keep an eye on the clearance shelves when all those goodies are cleared out to make room for more stuff. There’s a good chance the grab bags will be available in the next day or so.
You can’t use coupons on the grab bags, but you can use a Michaels Rewards voucher to pay for them.
Michaels grab bags are pretty straightforward. You can't combine coupons or promotions to get a lower price. And everything inside your box is final sale, no returns or refunds. However, you can use Michaels Rewards vouchers to get your grab bag for free.
Even if you don’t think you’ll use some of the products in your grab bag, you could sell them on Facebook Marketplace, donate items, or even disassemble them and turn them into DIY supplies for your next project.
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