Best Times of the Year for Clearance Holiday Supplies

I always lose track of when the bins of leftover twine and snowflakes disappear. There’s no rhyme or reason. Supposedly, 50–70% markdowns hit when stores panic about floor space, not when you expect. Three Target employees told me: you only get the “good” discount if you shop before lunch. Is that true? Who knows.

Post-Holiday Sale Strategies

December 26: everyone forgets about glitter pinecones. Holiday decorations vanish overnight. My trick? Ignore the main aisle sales and hunt the back corners. That’s where the unlabeled markdowns hide. I’ve found tubs of ribbon at 90% off behind the photo frames after New Year’s—no joke.

Check Target’s clearance page after Christmas. Last year, garlands got dumped with pet supplies. My neighbor, who plans events for a living, fills carts on January 2 but skips tree skirts (never under $3). The risk? Wait for a second markdown, and you’re stuck with broken felt reindeer. Deal experts swear you’ll see 60–90% discounts in the first week after big holidays, but the window’s tiny. Miss it, and you’re back to paying full price for next year’s kits. Retail cycles are chaos. Don’t blame yourself if you miss out.

End of Season Markdown Trends

So here’s the thing: every August, I wander into what’s basically a graveyard of glitter jars and summer banners (seriously, who needs this much sparkle?) tossed in with school supplies, and I’m guessing it’s because stores are desperate for Halloween shelf space. The markdowns get weird. Retailers yank crafting stuff from July events—like all the red, white, and blue nonsense—before anyone’s even thought about Labor Day. My cousin manages a store and, I kid you not, she only figures out what’s getting marked down by the color of the sticker. No public schedule. Chaos.

Once, I scored four boxes of holiday stickers for less than what I pay for gas—don’t ask me where I put them, but the register called it “seasonal promo” and I’m pretty sure I saved 70%. There’s this buying guide calendar that claims end-of-season sales are all about panic-clearing unsold craft junk, but the timing is a total crapshoot—like, why Wednesday at 2pm?

Retail folks call it “inventory panic,” which…yeah, that sounds about right. Most of the deep markdowns hit in the last couple weeks before the next holiday wave invades. If you see employees with price guns, just tail them. Don’t bother with those app alerts—they’re always late, and by the time you get a ping, someone’s already hoarded the good stuff. Pro tip: garden section tables and those random end caps? That’s where they bury the best deals.

How to Maximize Savings on Holiday Craft Materials

Left my cart stranded again last night—aisles were a disaster, nothing made sense, and there were three “holiday” sections mashed together. How are you supposed to know what’s actually a deal and what’s just sad leftovers from last year’s glow-in-the-dark pinecone trend? Still, if you’re stubborn (like me), you can usually grab party supplies and craft stuff for a fraction of the price. Takes patience, though. And luck. Mostly luck.

Combining Discounts with Coupons

“Stack your coupons!” Yeah, okay. I try, but then store apps forget my loyalty points or the scanner rejects my paper coupon because apparently 70% off tinsel is too much generosity for one human. I’ve learned to just expect things to break. I always check if stores will price-match, especially for stuff like ribbon spools—sometimes Michaels’ app lets you double up with printable codes, and once a clerk just gave up and let me scan three different offers because their ad policy is a mess (see The Spruce Crafts for more on that circus).

People ignore bulk bins and post-holiday markdowns—like, 80% off the weird colors, which is fine if you don’t care that your party favors are neon green. Combining discounts is a gamble: digital plus manufacturer coupon? Jackpot. Store coupon plus clearance? Usually, just confusion and a manager sighing. My weirdest trick? I buy ugly craft sets, rip them apart, and swap the pieces at craft meetups. Nobody checks the returns section, but if you’re willing to dig, there’s always a mountain of foam shapes and random paint.

Multipurpose Supplies for Multiple Holidays

Purple tulle after Halloween? Valentine’s party magic, obviously. Metallic cardstock from last year? Cut off the “2024” and slap a new sticker on—no one’s looking that close. The real move is to hunt for the basics: white felt, clear glue, blank party hats, and neutral buttons. Prices go nuts—holiday brads marked “winter” one week, then clearance, then suddenly they’re “party décor” for spring. I wish stores coordinated SKUs, but whatever.

Sometimes the best multipurpose stuff hides in the wedding aisle or with party supplies, not even in clearance bins. And dollar stores? They shuffle overstock so randomly, I can’t keep track. I grab anything with the “wrong” holiday branding and just repackage it—no one’s gonna notice if your graduation centerpiece was once a Christmas garland, unless you leave a snowman hanging off it.