Chip and Joanna Gaines are famed for their great taste in decor—and you can own a piece of it for the holidays through their Target line, Hearth & Hand with Magnolia. From sparkly tree ornaments to adorable throw pillows, there’s something affordable for every homeowner.
Yet not everything these “Fixer Upper” stars touch is pure gold. To help you separate the prettiest purchases from the clunkers, here’s a rundown of some of their best selections, and a few that leave us scratching our heads.
5 items from Chip and Jo we adore:
Red berry vase
Sure, you could traipse into the woods to pick a bunch of ilex stems, but they’d never look as perfect as this red berry vase ($25). Deep scarlet orbs against a creamy white container looks wintry and timeless, making it the perfect accent for your Christmas buffet.
Cable-knit tree skirt
This pick had us at “Sour Cream.” Yup—it’s the name of the color that’s been bestowed upon this soft knit tree skirt ($35). You know your tree wrapper has seen better days since it’s likely coated with sap and dog fur, so snap up this warm, chunky option with a sweet set of buttons that line the side.
Magnetic advent calendar
The kids want an advent calendar with chocolates behind each number, but once you’ve opened it you can’t exactly use it again. Instead, go green and select this updated approach, a magnetic calendar ($20) that hangs from a nail and features a genius wreath-as-marker to move each day during advent. Your pediatric dentist will thank you.
Plaid serving tray
Red and green plaid is the ultimate Christmas design—and it makes a statement embedded on this enamel and wood serving tray ($20). And the no-break melamine means you can let the kids eat off it while watching holiday cartoons.
Suitcase record player
Vinyl is red-hot in the home, but not every turntable looks as charming as this record player ($80). Its small size is well-priced, and the old-school suitcase design may inspire you to play ’50s sock hop tunes instead of Christmas carols.
5 Chip and Jo holiday items to skip:
Snowman kit
A snowman kit ($20) with everything you need to design your own Frosty seems kind of smart until you realize that it’s a huge cheat. The whole point of fun in the snow is grabbing a grubby carrot from the crisper drawer and fashioning “buttons” from found rocks in the road. Let your kids use their imagination, and give this one a hard pass.
Rattan candle
Pine, orange, cinnamon, peppermint—all of these scents herald the holiday season. But a candle called Rattan ($6) most certainly does not. The fragrance is purported to be woodsy and transport you to hiking trails in the mountains, but the label simply channels your grandmother’s stuffy sunroom—and not in a good way.
Tree basket
This product is actually called a tree collar ($40), but no Fraser fir we’ve ever met has been inserted into a woven circle. Let’s face it, your Christmas tree isn’t a potted palm and it doesn’t require a basket to fill the space between the branches and the floor, because that’s where the presents go.
Hot cocoa sign
Savvy parents know that if they display a hot cocoa sign ($15) in the kitchen, they’ll have to make this sweet drink all the time. Sure, it’s a nice idea, but in reality, few of us have enough cocoa and mini marshmallows on hand all winter to warrant advertising the service this way, so make like they do in “Frozen” and let it go.
Bell advent calendar
Sure, it’s reusable, which is great, but with so many pieces in this bell advent calendar ($37), you’ll be likely to lose at least one or two every year. And the ringing of these tiny tinny shapes for the entire month of December will turn most of us into Scrooges before the big day finally arrives.
