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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: August 12, 2003

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