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                                                                    EXHIBIT 31.1

CERTIFICATIONS*

I, Donald J. Carter, Jr., certify that:

1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Home Interiors & Gifts,
   Inc. (the "Registrant");

2. Based on my knowledge, this quarterly 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 quarterly report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
   information included in this quarterly 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 quarterly report;

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

   a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
      disclosure controls or 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 quarterly report is
      being prepared;

   b) evaluated the effectiveness of the Registrant's disclosure controls and
      procedures and presented in this quarterly report our conclusions about
      the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end
      of the period covered by this quarterly report based on such evaluation;

   c) disclosed in this quarterly report any change in the Registrant's internal
      control over financial reporting that occurred during the Registrant's
      most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably
      likely to affect, the Registrant's internal control over financial
      reporting; and

5. The Registrant's other certifying officers 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: November 6, 2003

                                        /s/ DONALD J. CARTER, JR.
                                        ------------------------------------
                                        Donald J. Carter, Jr.
                                        Chairman and Chief Executive Officer