Michaels® 

Countdown to Craftsmas Sweepstakes 

 
Official Rules 

THESE OFFICIAL RULES ARE A CONTRACT—READ THEM CAREFULLY BEFORE ENTERING.  WITHOUT LIMITATION, THIS CONTRACT INCLUDES A RELEASE AND LICENSE FROM YOU, AND A LIMITATION OF CERTAIN OF YOUR RIGHTS AND REMEDIES. 

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.  A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE THE CHANCE OF WINNING.  VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. 

1. Promotion and Sponsor.  Participation in the Countdown to Craftsmas Sweepstakes promotion (the “Promotion”) constitutes Participant’s (as defined below) full and unconditional agreement to these Official Rules.  Participant is free to disclaim any prize and status as Participant, and as a result will not be eligible to receive any prize.  The Promotion is sponsored and administered by Michaels Stores, Inc., 3939 West John Carpenter Freeway, Irving, Texas 75063 (“Sponsor”).  All decisions related to the Promotion and these Official Rules by Sponsor are final and binding.  While this Promotion may be publicized on social media websites, such websites are not affiliated with Sponsor or this Promotion.  This Promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok or any other third-party website or application that might host content where information about this Promotion is published (collectively “Content Hosts”).  Participant is providing information only to Sponsor and not to Content Hosts. 

2. Promotion Period.  The Promotion begins at 12:00:00 AM Central time (“CT”) on November 27, 2026, and ends at 11:59:59 PM CT on December 24, 2026 (the “Promotion Period”). Game Pieces are available only during participating stores’ operating hours, while supplies last. Sponsor is the official timekeeper of this Promotion. 

3. Eligibility.  The Promotion is open only to individuals that are legal residents of one of the fifty United States or the District of Columbia (the “Territory”), age 18 or older (or over the age of majority in the jurisdiction of residency, whichever is greater).  Employees or agents of Sponsor, National Sweepstakes Company (“Administrator”), or their respective parent or affiliate companies, vendors, suppliers, agencies, consultants, subcontractors or legal counsel, as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings and children) and household members of each such employee or agent, are not eligible.  Legal entities are not eligible to enter.  Eligibility is contingent upon agreement to, compliance with, and fulfillment of all requirements of these Official Rules. 

4. How to Play.  NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE THE CHANCE OF WINNING. An eligible individual (a “Participant”) may obtain one (1) official Countdown to Craftsmas calendar (a “Game Piece”) free of charge, without a purchase, payment, proof of purchase or other consideration, by visiting a participating Michaels store in the Territory during the Promotion Period and requesting a Game Piece from a store associate, while supplies last. Game Pieces are available to eligible non-purchasing visitors on the same terms as to purchasers. Limit one (1) Game Piece per eligible Participant during the Promotion. To determine whether a Game Piece is a winner, open its Black Friday door. A Participant may open the door on the day the Game Piece is obtained or at any later time, but must claim a prize by the applicable deadline in Section 7. Opening any other door is not required to participate in or win this Promotion. 

5. Conditions of Participation.  No personal information is required merely to obtain or open a Game Piece. To claim a GC Prize, a potential winner must provide Sponsor or the participating store with the potential winner’s full legal name, mailing address, and a valid email address or telephone number so that Sponsor can verify the claim, maintain a winners record and, if necessary, contact the claimant concerning the alternate Cash Prize drawing described in Section 7. A Cash Prize claimant must provide the information identified in Section 7 and may be required to provide date of birth, tax identification and other information reasonably necessary to verify eligibility and administer or report the prize. Information collected in connection with prize claims is referred to as “Personal Information.” Sponsor is not responsible for failure to receive a prize where an individual does not provide information reasonably required for prize verification and administration, subject to applicable law. 

Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, disqualify any individual it finds to be in violation of these Official Rules, tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Promotion (including without limitation, tampering with websites, email addresses or phone numbers), or acting in a non-sportsmanlike or disruptive manner.  Any attempt to undermine the operation of the Promotion may be a violation of criminal or civil law, and Sponsor may seek damages to the fullest extent permitted by law from any person it finds to have made such an attempt. 

6. Prizes.  There are One Thousand Two Hundred Thirty-Seven (1,237) prizes offered in total: One Thousand Two Hundred Thirty-Six (1,236) $100 Michaels gift card prizes and one (1) $10,000 cash prize. The total approximate retail value (“ARV”) of all prizes is One Hundred Thirty-Three Thousand Six Hundred Dollars ($133,600). Each winning Game Piece contains only one initial prize category: a Game Piece containing the Cash Prize does not also contain a GC Prize, and vice versa. A GC Prize winner may separately win the Cash Prize in the alternate drawing described in Section 7. 

Gift Card Prizes: There are One Thousand Two Hundred Thirty-Six (1,236) gift card prizes (each, a “GC Prize,” and collectively, the “GC Prizes”) available to be won. Each GC Prize consists of one (1) Michaels gift card in the amount of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00). Total ARV of all GC Prizes is One Hundred Twenty-Three Thousand Six Hundred Dollars ($123,600). 

Cash Prize:  There is one (1) cash prize (the “Cash Prize”) available to be won.  The Cash Prize consists of a check in the amount of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000). 

Prizes must be accepted as awarded and, except where required by law, are not transferable, assignable, redeemable for cash (except the Cash Prize itself) or available for resale. No substitution is permitted by a winner. Sponsor may substitute a prize of equal or greater value if a stated prize becomes unavailable, to the extent permitted by law. Sponsor makes no warranty, representation or guarantee regarding any prize, except any warranty that cannot lawfully be disclaimed. Federal, state and local taxes and other costs associated with acceptance and use of a prize are the winner’s responsibility. Michaels gift cards are subject to their applicable terms and conditions. Any prize details not expressly specified in these Official Rules will be determined by Sponsor in accordance with applicable law. 

Where permitted by law, a Cash Prize recipient (including a recipient selected through the alternate drawing described in Section 7) may be required to complete and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability & Publicity Release (the “Release”) and a properly completed Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 or other applicable tax documents within the deadline communicated by Sponsor. Sponsor may issue the Cash Prize recipient an IRS Form 1099 and related tax documents, as required by law. Comparable documentation may be requested from a GC Prize winner only to the extent reasonably necessary and legally permissible. 

Only the advertised number of prizes in each prize category will be awarded. If a printing, production, packaging or other error results in more apparently winning Game Pieces or eligible prize claims in a prize category than the number advertised, Sponsor will verify the affected claims and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, award the remaining advertised prizes for that category by random drawing among eligible claimants presenting valid apparently winning Game Pieces for that category. Prizes validly awarded before discovery of the error count against the advertised number. No person will receive more than the stated prize entitlement merely because of an error, and Sponsor will apply a fair, documented procedure to resolve excess claims. The alternate Cash Prize drawing described in Section 7 remains available if the Cash Prize is not ultimately awarded to a verified initial winning Game Piece claimant. 

7. Prize Claim Process.  GC Prize: A potential GC Prize winner must present the original winning Game Piece to a store associate at the same participating Michaels store where the Game Piece was obtained. A GC Prize may be claimed and, subject to verification, redeemed on the same day the Game Piece is obtained, including November 27, 2026. A participant who opens the Black Friday door on a later date may claim the GC Prize at that store through the applicable deadline below. The associate will verify the Game Piece and eligibility (including age), collect the winner’s name, mailing address, and valid email address or telephone number as provided in Section 5, and record the redeemed claim for winner-list and alternate-drawing administration. Sponsor may mark, retain or otherwise invalidate the original Game Piece upon redemption to prevent duplicate claims, and will issue the GC Prize upon successful verification. 

Cash Prize: A potential Cash Prize winner must scan the QR code on the winning Game Piece and submit a claim through the website reached by the QR code, providing the claimant’s name, email address, telephone number and a clear photograph of the winning Game Piece. The claimant must retain the original winning Game Piece and, upon Sponsor’s request, promptly submit or surrender it for authenticity and eligibility verification. Submission of a photograph alone does not establish final entitlement to the Cash Prize. Sponsor will attempt to notify the timely claimant by email or telephone (at Sponsor’s discretion) by January 5, 2027, after reviewing the claim, to obtain a mailing address and any Release or tax documents needed to verify eligibility and issue the $10,000 check. The deadline for the original online claim is separate from Sponsor’s subsequent verification and prize-delivery process. A potential Cash Prize recipient must respond to Sponsor’s attempted contact within five (5) business days and return required documents within the stated deadline; if the claimant cannot be contacted, fails to respond, fails to provide required documents, fails verification, or declines the prize, the claimant will be disqualified and the Cash Prize awarded under the alternate-drawing procedure below. 

Claim Deadlines: GC Prize claims must be presented in person before the originating participating Michaels store closes for business on December 24, 2026. The initial Cash Prize claimant must submit the online QR-code claim by 11:59:59 PM CT on December 24, 2026. A timely submitted Cash Prize claim may be verified and fulfilled after that date. No claim is timely merely because the winning door was opened by the deadline. 

All potential winners are subject to verification by Sponsor. No Participant is a confirmed winner solely because a Game Piece appears to be winning or a claimant receives preliminary notification. Sponsor may disqualify a potential winner who fails to establish eligibility or otherwise fails to comply with these Official Rules, subject to applicable law. A GC Prize not claimed by the applicable deadline, and any prize claim that is denied or forfeited, will be handled in accordance with applicable prize-award laws; a prize will not be withheld or left unawarded where applicable law requires it to be awarded. In all events, Sponsor will award the $10,000 Cash Prize in accordance with the following alternate-drawing procedure if that prize is not awarded through the original winning Game Piece. 

Alternate Cash Prize Drawing.  If the Cash Prize is not claimed by the deadline, if the Cash Prize-winning Game Piece is never distributed or its winning door is never opened, or if the initial Cash Prize claim is not verified or the claimant is disqualified or forfeits the prize, Sponsor will award the $10,000 Cash Prize through a random drawing among all eligible, verified GC Prize winners who made valid, timely GC Prize claims and whose contact information was recorded under Section 7. No additional purchase, submission or action is required to enter that drawing. Sponsor will conduct the drawing promptly after determining that the Cash Prize will not be awarded through the originally winning Game Piece, and will contact the selected potential recipient using the contact information given upon GC Prize redemption. The selected potential recipient must respond within five (5) business days of the attempted notification, retain proof of the original GC Prize claim if requested, and complete any required eligibility, Release and tax paperwork. If an alternate potential recipient cannot be contacted, fails verification, declines the prize or otherwise forfeits it, Sponsor will conduct additional random drawings among the remaining eligible GC Prize winners until the Cash Prize is awarded. Exactly one (1) $10,000 Cash Prize will be awarded under the Promotion, either through the original Cash Prize-winning Game Piece or through this alternate drawing. If not eligible, verified GC Prize winner is available for the alternate drawing, Sponsor will implement another lawful method to ensure the Cash Prize is awarded. 

A winners list may be obtained by hand printing the requestor’s name and complete mailing address on a 3x5” postcard and mailing it to Michaels Stores, Inc., Attn: Countdown to Craftsmas Sweepstakes Winners List, 3939 West John Carpenter Freeway, Irving, Texas 75063.  Limit one request per person, per household.  Requests must be received within three months of the end of the Promotion Period. 

Odds of Winning; Game Piece Distribution.  Based on an anticipated 618,000 Game Pieces in circulation, including 1,236 GC Prize-winning Game Pieces and one (1) separate Cash Prize-winning Game Piece, the odds of obtaining a Game Piece containing a $100 GC Prize are approximately 1 in 500; the odds of obtaining a Game Piece containing the $10,000 Cash Prize are approximately 1 in 618,000; and the odds of obtaining a Game Piece containing any prize are approximately 1 in 500. Each participating store is expected to receive approximately 500 Game Pieces, including one (1) GC Prize-winning Game Piece; the Cash Prize-winning Game Piece will be randomly distributed. Actual production or distribution quantities may vary, and these odds are estimates based on the anticipated quantities. If the alternate Cash Prize drawing is held, each eligible, verified GC Prize winner in the drawing has an equal chance of being selected; the odds in that drawing depend on the number of eligible GC Prize winners included. 

8. Limitations of Liability.  By entering or participating in this Promotion or accepting any prize in any way, each Participant agrees to indemnify, defend (regardless of ultimate liability), and hold harmless, and thereby does release and discharge Sponsor, Content Hosts, Administrator, and each of their respective parent and affiliate companies, vendors, suppliers, agencies, consultants, subcontractors and legal counsel, and each of their respective parent companies and each such company’s officers, directors, employees and agents, as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings and children) and household members of each such individual (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from and against all loss, liability, damage, injury, claim or cause of action related in any way whatsoever to this Promotion, these Official Rules, or the rights, consents and licenses granted to Sponsor under these Official Rules, including without limitation, violation of any agreement or obligation; infringement of any right of publicity or intellectual property; threatened or actual injury, loss or damage to any person, including sickness, disease, death and disability; defamation or portrayal in a false light (intentional and unintentional); invasion of privacy; and damage to or loss of property, arising out of such Participant’s participation in the Promotion or receipt, use, non-use or misuse of any prize.  To the maximum extent allowed by law, in no event will Released Parties be responsible for any damages or losses of any kind, including indirect, incidental, consequential or punitive damages arising out of this Promotion.  Some jurisdictions may not allow the limitations or exclusion of liability for incidental or consequential damages or exclusion of implied warranties.  Check local laws for restrictions regarding these limitations or exclusions. 

Participants waive any right to claim ambiguity in these Official Rules.  The Released Parties are not responsible for: (a) technical failures of any kind; (b) incorrect information, whether caused by Participants, any internet or email service provider, any promotional or advertising agency, printing or computing errors, or by any of the equipment or programming associated with the Promotion; (c) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Promotion; (d) technical or human error that may occur in the administration of the Promotion, the processing of entries or the announcement of any potential winner or prize; (e) any injury or damage to persons or property, including without limitation, computers, phones and tablets, that may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, by Participant’s participation in the Promotion or access to the Promotion materials; (f) the receipt, use or misuse of any prize; or (g) any other errors in any materials, information or announcements associated with the Promotion.     

EACH PARTICIPANT WAIVES CALIFORNIA CIVIL CODE § 1542 (AND ALL SIMILAR LAWS OF ANY STATE), WHICH READS: “A GENERAL RELEASE DOES NOT EXTEND TO CLAIMS THAT THE CREDITOR OR RELEASING PARTY DOES NOT KNOW OR SUSPECT TO EXIST IN HIS OR HER FAVOR AT THE TIME OF EXECUTING THE RELEASE, AND THAT IF KNOWN BY HIM OR HER, WOULD HAVE MATERIALLY AFFECTED HIS OR HER SETTLEMENT WITH THE DEBTOR OR RELEASED PARTY.”  EACH PARTICIPANT REPRESENTS AND WARRANTS FULL UNDERSTANDING OF, AND ACKNOWLEDGES THE SIGNIFICANCE AND CONSEQUENCE OF, WAIVER OF CALIFORNIA CIVIL CODE § 1542 (AND ALL SIMILAR LAWS OF ANY JURISDICTION). 

9. LICENSES FROM PARTICIPANTS.  To the extent allowed by law, participation in the Promotion in any way constitutes each Participant’s consent for, and grant of a non-exclusive, sub-licensable and assignable license to Sponsor to record, publish, post, display and otherwise exploit such Participant’s name, social media handles, likeness, image, voice, aural and visual performance (together or independently), statements and hometown, regardless of whether altered, distorted or used alone or with other material, in Sponsor’s sole discretion, for commercial, promotional, marketing and trade purposes in any medium now known or later discovered, worldwide and in perpetuity, without review or approval, and without further notice, payment or consideration of any kind. 

All rights, consents and licenses granted to Sponsor under these Official Rules or the Release will survive the termination of this Promotion.  Such consents and licenses may only be revoked in writing, and the mere ending of this Promotion is not sufficient to revoke such consents or licenses. 

10. Right to Modify or Cancel.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these Official Rules will not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision.  In the event any provision is found invalid or unenforceable, these Official Rules will otherwise remain in effect in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or unenforceable provision was never included.  Sponsor’s failure to enforce any provision of these Official Rules does not constitute a waiver of that provision.  

To the extent permitted by law, Sponsor may cancel, suspend or modify the Promotion or any part of it, in any way, if Sponsor determines in its sole discretion that the Promotion is not capable of executing as Sponsor intended, or that any error, omission, fraud, technical failure, tampering, computer virus or other factor, technical or otherwise, beyond Sponsor’s reasonable control, impairs or may impair Sponsor’s ability to properly conduct the Promotion. Any cancellation, suspension or modification will be made only to the extent permitted by applicable law and subject to Sponsor’s obligation to award prizes as legally required. 

In the event of an inconsistency between these Official Rules and any information contained in any Promotion-related materials, including without limitation, any point-of-sale, radio, television, print or online advertising, these Official Rules will prevail and govern. 

11. Disputes; CLASS ACTION WAIVER.  Except where prohibited by law, Participant agrees that: (a) all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or related to this Promotion or any prize will be resolved individually, without any form of class action, and Participant consents to the personal jurisdiction of the appropriate federal or state court located in Dallas County, Texas for such purpose; and (b) all claims, judgments and awards will be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering this Promotion, but in no event attorneys’ fees.  The Promotion and these Official Rules are governed by and will be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of laws rules that would cause the application of the laws of any other jurisdiction. 

12. Privacy.  Sponsor does not require Personal Information merely to obtain or open a Game Piece. Sponsor and Administrator may collect and process Personal Information provided when a potential winner claims a GC Prize in-store or a Cash Prize through the QR-code website, and any information subsequently required to verify eligibility, distribute a prize, satisfy tax obligations, maintain winners records, administer the alternate Cash Prize drawing or comply with applicable law. This may include name, contact information, mailing address, date of birth, Game Piece images, and tax forms, to the extent necessary for these purposes. Information may be shared with service providers administering the Promotion and with government authorities as legally required; winners’ names, locations, prizes and related details may be made available through required winners lists. Sponsor will retain such information as reasonably necessary for these purposes, consistent with applicable law and its privacy policy. Personal Information collected from Participants is subject to Sponsor’s privacy policy at michaels.com/your-privacy-rights. Failure to provide information reasonably required for a particular prize claim may prevent verification or fulfillment of that claim, subject to applicable law. 

*** 

ADVERTISING DISCLOSURES 

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE CHANCES OF WINNING. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. states and D.C., age 18 or older. Promotion begins 11/27/26 and ends 12/24/26. 1,236 $100 gift card prizes and one (1) $10,000 cash prize available; total ARV of all prizes: $133,600. Odds of winning a $100 gift card: approximately 1 in 500. Odds of winning the $10,000 cash prize: approximately 1 in 618,000. For complete Official Rules, including eligibility and prize-claim requirements, see https://www.michaels.com/lp/holiday-challenge-terms-conditions. Sponsor: Michaels Stores, Inc., 3939 W. John Carpenter Fwy., Irving, TX 75063. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.