You’re driving down 210, maybe you just grabbed a coffee, and you realize you need that one specific shade of embroidery floss or a massive slab of floral foam for a weekend project. If you live in the Inland Empire, you’re likely heading toward the Hobby Lobby Upland CA location. It’s tucked away in the Colonies Crossroads, and honestly, it’s a bit of a local staple at this point.
While everyone talks about retail dying, this place feels like a time capsule that somehow stayed relevant.
It's weird. You’d think Amazon would have killed the craft store by now. But there is something about walking into that massive, high-ceilinged warehouse in Upland that hits different. Maybe it’s the smell—that specific mix of cinnamon pine cones, dried plastic flowers, and fresh wood. Or maybe it’s just the fact that you can’t exactly "feel" the quality of a picture frame through a smartphone screen.
Finding Your Way to Hobby Lobby Upland CA
Location matters. The Upland spot is at 1931 N Campus Ave, Upland, CA 91784. It’s basically the heart of the Colonies Crossroads shopping center. If you’ve ever tried to park there on a Saturday afternoon, you know the struggle. It’s a mess. Between the Target shoppers and people hitting up Kohl’s, the parking lot feels like a competitive sport.
But once you get inside? The vibe shifts.
The Upland store follows the standard corporate layout, but it feels massive. It’s over 50,000 square feet of stuff. We’re talking miles of aisles. If you’re looking for the seasonal decor, it’s usually front and center. Right now, depending on when you walk in, you’re either seeing a literal forest of Christmas trees or a sea of orange and black for fall. They rotate stock faster than most people change their oil.
The store hours are the one thing that catches people off guard. They are closed on Sundays. Every single week. This is a core part of the Green family’s (the owners) corporate philosophy. If you show up on a Sunday morning hoping to finish a last-minute school project, you’re going to be staring at a locked glass door. Plan accordingly. Most days, they open at 9:00 AM and shut down by 8:00 PM.
The Seasonal Rotation Strategy
Why does this specific store stay so packed? It’s the 40% off cycle.
If you’ve shopped at Hobby Lobby Upland CA more than twice, you’ve figured out the rhythm. You basically never pay full price for anything. One week the furniture is on sale. The next week it’s the "Home Decor" (the clocks, the mirrors, the weird metal signs that say "Bless This Mess"). Then it’s the yarn.
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It creates this weird psychological urgency. You see a lamp you like, but it’s not on sale this week. Do you buy it? No. You wait seven days because you know that 40% or 50% off tag is coming back around. It’s a revolving door of discounts.
The Upland location is particularly good at keeping the "Spring Shop" and "Christmas Shop" stocked. Because the Inland Empire has so many suburban homes with actual mantels and porches to decorate, the demand for oversized porch signs and seasonal wreaths is higher here than, say, a tiny store in Los Angeles.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Inventory
A lot of people think Hobby Lobby is just for grandmas who knit. It’s not.
Step into the model kit aisle. You’ll see grown men debating the merits of different Tamiya paint colors or looking for specific Revell car kits. The Upland store has a surprisingly deep selection of scale models and RC accessories.
Then there’s the fabric department.
In Upland, the fabric section is a destination for local cosplayers and small business owners who run Etsy shops. They carry a lot of calicos and fleece, sure, but their upholstery selection is actually decent if you’re trying to DIY a headboard or fix a dining room chair. The cutting counter usually has a line, though. It’s the one place in the store where things slow down to a crawl. If you see more than three people waiting, maybe go look at the scrapbooking stickers for ten minutes and come back.
The Framing Department: A Hidden Gem?
Let’s talk about the back wall. The custom framing.
This is where the Hobby Lobby Upland CA team actually shows some real skill. Custom framing is insanely expensive at boutique shops. At Hobby Lobby, they almost always have a "50% off Custom Framing" sale running.
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But here’s the nuanced take: it’s great for 90% of things. If you have an old movie poster, a diploma, or a photo of your dog, they’ll do a killer job. If you have a $10,000 original oil painting from the 18th century, you might want to go to a specialized conservator. The materials they use are good—acid-free mats and UV-protective glass are available—but it’s still a high-volume retail environment.
The Logistics of Shopping the Upland Store
Upland isn't just a random suburb; it's a hub for the surrounding areas like Rancho Cucamonga, Claremont, and Montclair. This means the store handles a huge volume of foot traffic.
If you want the best experience, go on a Tuesday or Wednesday morning. The shelves are usually freshly stocked from the Monday trucks, and the "aisle rage" is non-existent. Avoid the 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM rush. That’s when everyone stops by on their way home from work, and the checkout lines can stretch back into the party supplies.
Speaking of checkouts, Hobby Lobby is famous (or infamous) for not using barcodes.
The cashiers at the Upland store have to manually punch in the price of every single item. It’s wild. In 2026, it feels like an ancient ritual. They do this to keep their inventory systems "simple," but it means the cashiers have to be incredibly fast. Watch their fingers next time you’re there; it’s actually impressive how quickly they can fly through a cart full of 50 individual skeins of yarn.
Understanding the Corporate Shadow
You can’t talk about Hobby Lobby without acknowledging the baggage. Whether it’s the Supreme Court cases regarding healthcare or the controversies over the sourcing of ancient artifacts for their Museum of the Bible, the company is polarizing.
In a town like Upland, which is a mix of conservative-leaning suburbs and more progressive pockets near the Claremont Colleges, this creates an interesting dynamic. Some people refuse to step foot in the building. Others shop there specifically because they want to support a business with those particular "values."
But for the average crafter just trying to find a specific size of crochet hook, the store is just a store. It’s a place to get supplies. The employees at the Upland branch are generally just local folks—mostly friendly, usually a bit overworked during the holiday season, but they know where the Mod Podge is.
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How to Actually Save Money (Beyond the Sales)
Most people know about the weekly flyer, but there are deeper ways to play the game at Hobby Lobby Upland CA.
- Check the Clearance Endcaps: These are usually hidden in the back corners, near the fabric or the frames. This isn't just junk. Often, it's perfectly good decor that just had a slightly dented box or was part of a discontinued line. I’ve seen 80% to 90% off tags here.
- The "Damaged" Discount: If you find a piece of furniture or a large mirror that has a tiny scratch—something you can easily fix with a furniture marker—ask for a manager. They are often authorized to give an extra 10% or 15% off on top of the sale price just to get the item out of the store.
- The App is Better Than the Site: The Hobby Lobby app is surprisingly decent for checking what the "current" sale is while you’re standing in the aisle. Don’t guess. Check.
Why Upland Over Other Locations?
There are other Hobby Lobbys in the region. There's one in Fontana and one in San Bernardino.
But the Upland store is generally considered the "cleaner" and better-organized one. Because it’s located in the Colonies Crossroads, the property management is strict about the exterior, and the store manager seems to keep a tighter ship regarding the "aisles of doom" (those middle sections where everything usually gets tossed in a pile).
Also, the proximity to other stores makes it a "one-trip" destination. You can hit Hobby Lobby for your crafts, Target for your groceries, and HomeGoods for the stuff Hobby Lobby didn't have, all without moving your car—provided you found a spot in the first place.
Real-World Crafting Scenarios
Let's say you're a teacher at Upland High. You need to decorate your classroom for a theme. You could go to a dedicated teacher supply store, but those are getting harder to find. The "Educational" aisle in the Upland Hobby Lobby has grown significantly over the last few years. They have the borders, the punch-out letters, and the massive rolls of butcher paper.
Or maybe you’re a bride-to-be. The wedding section in this store is massive. It’s basically a rite of passage for IE brides to go through those aisles, picking out faux eucalyptus and "Mr. & Mrs." cake toppers. They even have a decent selection of "invitation suites" that you can print yourself if you’re trying to avoid the $1,000 professional printing bill.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Visit
If you're planning a trip to the Hobby Lobby Upland CA location, don't just wing it.
- Check the Sunday Rule: Make sure today isn't Sunday. Seriously. People forget this every single week and end up sitting in the parking lot disappointed.
- Download the Digital Flyer: Before you walk in, know what's on sale. If jewelry making is 50% off, but you want to buy paint, know that the paint might be on sale next week. If you can wait, wait.
- Measure Your Space: If you’re looking for wall art or furniture, bring a tape measure. The scale of the store makes things look smaller than they actually are. That "medium" clock will look like a satellite dish once you get it into your apartment.
- The "Rain Check" Myth: Hobby Lobby generally doesn't do rain checks. If they're out of a sale item, they're out. However, you can ask an associate to check the "overhead" (the boxes stored at the very top of the shelves). Sometimes the inventory system says they have three left, and they’re just sitting in a box 15 feet in the air.
- Use the "Colonies" Back Entrance: If the main entrance to the shopping center on Campus Ave is backed up, try entering from the back side via 19th Street. It’s often much faster and lets you bypass the main traffic light drama.
The store is a beast. It’s huge, it’s colorful, and it’s occasionally overwhelming. But for the makers and decorators in Upland, it’s an essential resource that provides something a screen simply can’t—a physical connection to the things we create. Whether you're there for a single tube of super glue or a cart full of Christmas garland, the Upland Hobby Lobby remains the go-to spot in the Inland Empire.