The Clever Way HGTV Star Joanna Gaines Disguises Her Kids' DIY Design Fails

Chip and Joanna Gaines have become renovation royalty since the success of their HGTV show "Fixer Upper," but that doesn't mean they're immune to the occasional DIY fail, especially when they're allowing their kids to get involved. In an Instagram post from December 2023, Joanna let her Instagram followers in on a little hack she'd come up with when faced with a whoopsie from one of her little ones.

"When one of your children drill like 9 too many screws in the wall, here's a design hack: just cover it w/ a cute pic," she wrote. A short video accompanied the caption, featuring a painted green wall that contained eight screws and several drill holes. To cover the area, she hangs a vintage black and white photo in a simple frame over the spot.

"And now look now!" says a little one at the end of the video. For those who have been long-time fans of the Gaines family, it comes as no surprise that the Magnolia Network hosts are continuing to bring their children into their renovation projects, as they've had a long history of making things family-friendly.

While this drill-hole moment made for a great Instagram hack, it's definitely not the first time Joanna Gaines has had to adapt her designs to her children. Gaines shares five children with her husband Chip: Drake, Ella, Duke, Emmie, and Crew. Back in 2012, the interior designer opened up to Design Mom about how her style has evolved as she's become a mother.

"Kids added color to my life and to my home!" she told the outlet, adding the importance of not sweating the small stuff. "My philosophy is to embrace where you are and the season you are in. If you have children, create child-proof, inspiring spaces where they will thrive." Gaines went on to explain that she loves to use white in her designs, mentioning she'd have all-white floors and furniture if she could, but that she's recognized it's not the most practical style choice for a child-friendly household.

While she still went for a white sofa and chairs, the interior designer opted for replaceable furniture covers. "I have the white furniture but purchased the white IKEA sofas and chairs with slip-covers," she added. "The other day, my two-year old took a pen to one of my over-stuffed chairs, and marked all over it. I didn't freak out because a new slipcover is $35."

In addition to adapting her designs to her child-filled lifestyle, Joanna Gaines and her husband have long included their kids in their professional projects. For example, fans of "Fixer Upper" will recall the many times that the Gaines children appeared on the show to assist in some classic demolition with their father.

In subsequent years, the little ones have appeared on the cooking show "Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines," with Gaines opening up to People about their similar involvement in the making of her cookbooks. "Whatever I made I would have them try," Joanna told the outlet in 2020. "It was funny because with the first cookbook, it was all recipes they had eaten numerous times, but these were new flavors that felt a bit more elevated."

Gaines has also taken to Instagram to share some of the small, outdoor projects she's done with her son Crew. In May 2023, the "Fixer Upper: The Castle" host posted a video of her youngest child creating an adorable fairy "rest and retreat village" in their garden, which included little ceramic homes, mossy yards, and a miniature pond. With all this in mind, it makes sense that the little ones would have some DIY mishaps every now and then.