Eager to deck the halls with a little reality star assistance? Look no further than “Fixer Upper” duo Chip and Joanna Gaines, whose popular Hearth & Hand line at Target is resplendent with tree ornaments, table toppers, kitchen gear, and other home accessories that will make your home merry and bright.
Even better, many of their wares come at inflation-friendly prices. In fact, the items we curated below all go for $25 or less.
But watch out for a few duds, too (even the Gaineses can’t knock it out of the park every time). Read on, and get ready to shop for the most wonderful time of year.
Get it: Placemats you can color
Easy entertainment for all ages
Target
A step above those cheap handouts you get in family restaurants, these intricate coloring placemats ($10 for 24) will keep your kids busy during longer-than-usual family meals or anytime you need a few minutes of precious quiet.
Peaceful winter village scenes are the theme, making the paper kit appropriate for multiple months this year. Bonus: They pack up easily for car rides and plane trips, too.
Skip it: Conversation cards
Will you really use these year after year?
Target
We hate to be Grinches, but a bunch of conversation cards ($10) with topics to bring up with friends and family seems kind of forced and fake.
Are you really that stumped for conversation at the holiday table? And while you might dig using these once or twice with the new neighbors from down the street, it’s more likely that the box will sit in a drawer and become clutter very quickly.
Get it: Tartan dog bed
It comes with a nifty handle for carrying.
Target
When your pet’s bed is a hot mess (torn, stained, stinky), it means the whole living room looks awful. Fix this situation by gifting your pup—and yourself—this very attractive dog bed with a bolster ($25 and up). Classic tartan plaid will never go out of style, the brown corner patches add flair, and it washes up well in the machine.
Skip it: Mantel stocking holder
Warning: This peg might not hold up.
Target
We’ve never been big fans of cutesy Christmas hooks for the mantel as they’re often more about appearance than utility. This stocking peg ($12) claims to hold 3 pounds of presents, but that doesn’t seem nearly heavy enough for the stuff most people cram into their kids’ stockings. Plus, hanging fabric by the fireplace isn’t really safe, people!
Get it: Christmas tree ornaments
Uplifting words add happiness to your boughs.
Target
These tree ornaments ($15 for six) are exactly the words we need to read and display right now. And the chic brass and glass design is a great improvement over the same ol’ Christmas colors you usually find on holiday baubles.
Get it: Fair Isle cookie tin
Choose from small and medium sizes.
Target
The Fair Isle knitting style has become a cliché when woven into sweaters, but it hits just the stylish note you’re seeking when printed on a cookie tin (from $2). Deer, snowflakes, and pine trees dot the container, making it one you’ll be sad to let go of at your cookie swap.
Skip it: Silicone spatula set
Do you really need more of these?
Target
Who decided that every holiday requires its own set of themed kitchen spatulas? Sure, this silicone spatula set ($8) works well enough, but you don’t need to replace the perfectly fine blue and yellow ones in your utensil crock when the holidays roll around.
Get it: Paper napkins
Attractive and utile = add to cart!
Target
Book club, your holiday party, dinner with the in-laws, and more—you’ll have loads of occasions when these seasonal napkins ($3) will come in handy. Use cloth ones on the big days (Christmas Eve, Christmas Day), but lean on paper the rest of the time. Less laundry for the win!
Skip it: Metal cookie stamps
These aren’t as easy to use as they look.
Target
Just press on the dough and go? Alas, cookie stamps ($17 for three) like these get gummed up when the mix starts to soften, no matter how many times you dip them in flour. Let’s face it, cookie cutters are way easier to use—stick with those.
Get it: Faux cedars
They’re petite but very sweet.
Target
These adorable, tiny potted faux cedars ($10 for three) can be kept year after year and placed on your bookshelf, mantel, or down the middle of your holiday table. And at just 10 bucks for the trio, you can get a few sets for more decor or as a gift for that annual Yankee swap.
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