# Exhibit 31.1

# CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, Susan E. Engel, certify that:

1.    I have
reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Department 56, Inc.;

2.    Based on
my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the
circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the
period covered by this report;

3.    Based on
my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this
report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of
operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this
report;

4.    The
registrants other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and
maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules
13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have:

| | (a)       Designed such disclosure controls
and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed
under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the
registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by
others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this
report is being prepared;
| | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

| | (b)       Evaluated the effectiveness of the
registrants disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this
report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and
procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such
evaluation; and
| | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

| | (c)       Disclosed in this report any change
in the registrants internal control over financial reporting (as defined
in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) that occurred during the
registrants most recent fiscal quarter (the registrants fourth
fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or
is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrants internal
control over financial reporting; and
| | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5.    The
registrants other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our
most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the
registrants auditors and the audit committee of the registrants
board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

| | (a)       All significant deficiencies and
material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over
financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the
registrants ability to record, process, summarize and report financial
information; and
| | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

| | (b)        Any fraud, whether or not
material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant
role in the registrants internal control over financial reporting.
| | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

|                       |                                                                                               |                      | 
|---------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------- | 
|Date:   March 17, 2004 |                                                                                               | /s/   Susan E. Engel
|                       |                                                                                              
|                       | Susan E. EngelChairwoman of the Boardand Chief Executive Officer(Principal Executive Officer)

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