Press Release

Kids of All Ages Can Make Memories with Build-A-Bear Craftshop line at Michaels

ST. LOUIS (August 10, 2010) –Build-A-Bear Workshop®, the interactive entertainment retailer of customized stuffed animals, has partnered with Michaels Stores, Inc., North America’s largest arts and crafts specialty retailer, to introduce Build-A-Bear Craftshop™, a line of creative products and activities for kids of all ages that will be sold exclusively at over 1,020 Michaels stores in the U.S. and Canada starting September 12, 2010.

The Build-A-Bear Craftshop line, like Build-A-Bear Workshop, provides kids with maximum possibilities for personalization while encouraging creativity and imaginative play. Each craft kit is designed to allow for full customization through painting, stitching, sticking, sparkling, and embellishing product foundations. These huggable, loveable, and affordable craft kits are designed to be interchangeable and come ready-made with simple instructions.

“The Build-A-Bear Craftshop name stands for an exclusive array of affordable creative products and activities that stitch together the heart and soul of the Build-A-Bear Workshop brand,” said Maxine Clark, Build-A-Bear Workshop founder and chief executive bear. “We are excited to work with Michaels, a leader in the kids craft industry, to introduce this line of products that provides best friends with cool ways to make memories together.”

Build-A-Bear Craftshop will include 24 fun make-your-own projects ranging from $1.99 to $14.99. Products include a Jewelry Kit and Hair Accessory Kit, Paint-Your-Own Figurines (polar bear, bunny and bears), as well as Make and Share crochet scarves and totes, one each for the Guest and the bear. Building on previous success, the line also features Make and Play Kits that include Sweetheart Bear, Pink Cuddles and Fashion Panda among others. These animals are ready to assemble with embroidery floss for sewing, stuffing, safety needle and a complete outfit to personalize each animal.

“Michaels is a top destination for kids’ creative products, and Build-A-Bear Craftshop adds another great brand to our children’s offerings,” said Michaels Executive Vice President of Merchandising Philo Pappas. ”We hope our young customers will have hours of fun with new ways to personalize their Build-A-Bear Workshop stuffed animals with the Build-A-Bear Craftshop line from Michaels.”

Linking to the Build-A-Bear Workshop virtual world, each Build-A-Bear Craftshop kit comes with a unique code that takes Guests to friends, fashion, and fun at buildabearville.com®. Guests can find more craft ideas and information on how to use other materials with their kits at Build-A-Bearville®. All craft items will include a special code for cool virtual prizes, which can be redeemed online at buildabearville.com.

About Michaels
Irving, Texas-based Michaels Stores, Inc. is North America’s largest specialty retailer of arts, crafts, framing, floral, wall décor, and seasonal merchandise for the hobbyist and do-it-yourself home decorator. The company currently owns and operates more than 1,020 Michaels stores in 49 states and Canada and over 140 Aaron Brothers stores. For more information, visit www.Michaels.com.

About Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. is the only global company that offers an interactive make-your-own stuffed animal retail-entertainment experience. The company currently operates more than 400 Build-A-Bear Workshop stores worldwide, including company-owned stores in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and France, and franchise stores in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Middle East. Founded in St. Louis in 1997, Build-A-Bear Workshop is the leader in interactive retail. Brands include make-your-own Major League Baseball® mascot in-stadium locations, and Build-A-Dino® stores. Build-A-Bear Workshop extends its in-store interactive experience online with its award winning virtual world Web site at buildabearville.com. The company was named to the 2009 and 2010 FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For® lists. Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE: BBW) posted total revenue of $394.4 million in fiscal 2009. For more information, call 888.560.BEAR (2327) or visit the company's award-winning Web site at buildabear.com®.

TRADEMARKS
We would like to thank you for your interest in covering our business. As you write your story, we would ask that you use our full Name: Build-A-Bear Workshop and that when referencing the process of making stuffed animals you use the word “make” not “build”.

Build-A-Bear Workshop is our well-known trade name and our registered trademark of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. Build-A-Bear Workshop should only be used in capital letters to refer to our products and services and should not be used as a verb

Note: Parental permission may be required to access buildabearville.com. Visit buildabearville.com for details.

Contact:
Jill Saunders
Build-A-Bear Workshop
314-423-8000 ext. 5293
314-422-4523 (cell)
jills@buildabear.com

Kristen Kauffman or Alexandra Elliott
SPM Communications for Michaels
214- 379-7000
817-329-3257 (cell)
kristen@spmcommunications.com or
alexandra@spmcommunications.com