Ella Gaines’ 20th birthday just gave Fixer Upper fans the rarest gift of all: an actual look at the Gaines kids. Joanna Gaines celebrated her daughter’s milestone birthday on October 21 with a heartfelt Instagram tribute — and the photos have fans doing a double take at how quickly Ella has grown up.
Ella Gaines’ 20th Birthday: A Disco-Ball Party at Home
The post opened with a single word stretched across the screen: “T W E N T Y.” Underneath it, Joanna wrote: “You are radiant. You shine. We love you so much Ella.”
The video gave fans a tour of Ella’s at-home celebration. Disco balls hung from the ceiling, sparkly streamers lined the walls, and giant No. 20 balloons filled the room. In one clip, Ella blew out the candles on an all-white cake with the word “twenty” spelled out in black letters while one of her brothers stood behind her. The tribute ended with a sweet childhood photo of Ella — a quiet reminder of just how far the family has come. For parents who almost never share their kids online, a post like this feels extra special. More photos from the celebration surfaced quickly, and fans could not get enough.
Why This Birthday Hit Fixer Upper Fans So Hard
Chip and Joanna Gaines share five children: Drake, Ella, Duke, Emmie, and Crew. However, the couple has always kept their kids mostly out of the spotlight. Joanna rarely posts them on social media, so a birthday tribute like this one is a genuine event for longtime followers.
As a result, the comments filled up fast. “Wait! What? 20? Happy birthday,” one fan wrote. Another added, “I watched the show when she was just a little girl! I can’t believe how much she’s grown!”
It is easy to see why the milestone landed so hard. Ella was only six years old when Fixer Upper premiered on HGTV in 2013. Viewers watched her grow up across five seasons — and now she is officially out of her teens.
Chip Gaines filming the Drew Barrymore Show at Magnolia in Waco, Texas. Photo: Mily Fitzgerald via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0).
From Fixer Upper Kid to Parsons Design Student
Ella is not just the Gaineses’ eldest daughter. She is also quietly building a design career of her own. She is currently studying at Parsons School of Design in New York City — one of the top design schools in the world.
In addition, she has already made her television debut as a designer. On Fixer Upper: Colorado Mountain House, Ella designed one of the property’s guest cottages herself, showing off the design skills she has clearly inherited. She has also interned for Magnolia, the family company behind the ever-growing lifestyle empire.
Hearth & Hand with Magnolia display at Target in Miami, 2022 — part of the Gaines family’s growing lifestyle empire. Photo: Phillip Pessar via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).
Chip has said Ella wanted a school far from the family’s Texas home. “She seems excited to be able to spread her wings and do something very unique and outside the bubble,” he shared on the Today show.
Ella Gaines’ Milestone Timeline
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2006 | Ella Rose Gaines is born on October 20 in Waco, Texas — the second of Chip and Joanna’s five children. |
| 2013 | Fixer Upper premieres on HGTV; Ella grows up on screen across five hit seasons. |
| 2018 | Ella launches her own small baking business at age 11. |
| 2025 | Ella makes her design debut, transforming a guest cottage on Fixer Upper: Colorado Mountain House. |
| 2025 | She enrolls at Parsons School of Design in New York City. |
| 2026 | Ella turns 20, and Joanna celebrates with a rare at-home birthday post. |
What’s Next for Ella Gaines?
So what comes after the candles are blown out? If her recent path is any clue, Ella is heading straight for the design world. A formal design education plus hands-on experience at Magnolia puts her in a rare position: she could eventually help shape the family brand’s next chapter.
The Hearth & Hand with Magnolia collection at Target in Dadeland Station, Florida. Photo: Phillip Pessar via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).
Meanwhile, Joanna has been open about the emotions of this season. In a recent interview with Hoda Kotb, she admitted that “mom guilt” follows her everywhere — until a car-ride conversation with Ella changed her perspective. “All you’ve taught me is I can do anything and everything,” Ella told her mom.
For now, though, the focus is simple: family, cake, and twenty. Happy birthday, Ella.
