U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                     FORM 4

                  STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

    Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
       Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or
               Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

[_]  Check box if no longer  subject of Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations
     may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

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1.   Name and Address of Reporting Person*

Murray                               Stephen                    P.
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   (Last)                           (First)             (Middle)

c/o J.P. Morgan Partners, LLC
1221 Avenue of the Americas-40th Floor
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                                    (Street)

New York                        New York                  10020
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   (City)                           (State)              (Zip)


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2.   Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol


Home Products International, Inc.  ("HPII")
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3.   IRS Identification Number of Reporting Person, if an Entity (Voluntary)



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4.   Statement for Month/Year


January 2001
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5.   If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)


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6.   Relationship of Reporting Person to Issuer
     (Check all applicable)

     [X]  Director                             [_]  10% Owner
     [_]  Officer (give title below)           [_]  Other (specify below)
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7.   Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check applicable line)

     [X]  Form filed by one Reporting Person
     [_] Form filed by more than one Reporting Person
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           Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of,
                             or Beneficially Owned
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                                                                                                                6.
                                                                 4.                              5.             Owner-
                                                                 Securities Acquired (A) or      Amount of      ship
                                                    3.           Disposed of (D)                 Securities     Form:     7.
                                                    Transaction  (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)             Beneficially   Direct    Nature of
                                      2.            Code         ------------------------------- Owned at End   (D) or    Indirect
1.                                    Transaction   (Instr. 8)                   (A)             of Month       Indirect  Beneficial
Title of Security                     Date          ------------     Amount      or     Price    (Instr. 3      (I)       Ownership
(Instr. 3)                            (mm/dd/yy)     Code     V                  (D)             and 4)         (Instr.4) (Instr. 4)
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Common Stock                           N/A            N/A      N/A     N/A         N/A    N/A      1,332,660.66    I        (FN 1)
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*    If the Form is filed by more than one  Reporting  Person,  see  Instruction
     4(b)(v).

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially
          owned directly or indirectly.

                            (Print or Type Responses)
                                                                          (Over)
(Form 4-07/99)

FORM 4 (continued)

Table II -- Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
         (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

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                                                                                                                    10.
                                                                                                          9.        Owner-
                                                                                                          Number    ship
                                                                                                          of        Form
                    2.                                                                                    Deriv-    of
                    Conver-                    5.                              7.                         ative     Deriv-   11.
                    sion                       Number of                       Title and Amount           Secur-    ative    Nature
                    or                         Derivative    6.                of Underlying     8.       ities     Secur-   of
                    Exer-             4.       Securities    Date              Securities        Price    Bene-     ity:     In-
                    cise     3.       Trans-   Acquired (A)  Exercisable and   (Instr. 3 and 4)  of       ficially  Direct   direct
                    Price    Trans-   action   or Disposed   Expiration Date   ----------------  Deriv-   Owned     (D) or   Bene-
1.                  of       action   Code     of(D)         (Month/Day/Year)            Amount  ative    at End    In-      ficial
Title of            Deriv-   Date     (Instr.  (Instr. 3,    ----------------            or      Secur-   of        direct   Owner-
Derivative          ative    (Month/  8)       4 and 5)      Date     Expira-            Number  ity      Month     (I)      ship
Security            Secur-   Day/     ------   ------------  Exer-    tion               of      (Instr.  (Instr.   (Instr.  (Instr.
(Instr. 3)          ity      Year)    Code V    (A)   (D)    cisable  Date     Title     Shares  5)       4)        4)       4)
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Explanation of Responses:

(1) The amount shown  represents the  beneficial  ownership of the Issuer's
equity  securities by J.P. Morgan Partners  (SBIC),  LLC ("JPM SBIC"),  formerly
known as Chase Venture Capital Associates, LLC, a portion of which may be deemed
attributable to the reporting  person because the reporting person is a managing
director  of JPM SBIC and a limited  partner of JPMP Master  Fund  Manager  ("MF
Manager"),  formerly  known as Chase Capital  Partners.  As a result of internal
reorganizations and name changes effective as of the first week of January 2001,
JPM SBIC became a subsidiary of a limited partnership managed by MF Manager, and
the reporting  person became a limited partner of MF Manager upon its conversion
to a limited partnership form of organization.  The internal reorganizations and
name changes did not alter the proportionate  interests of the ultimate security
holders of the  renamed  entities.  The actual  pro rata  portion of  beneficial
ownership that may be deemed attributable to the reporting person is not readily
determinable because it is subject to several variables,  including the internal
rate of return and vesting within the sole shareholder of JPM SBIC and within MF
Manager.  The reporting person disclaims  beneficial ownership in the securities
to the extent it exceeds his pecuniary interest.




/s/ Stephen P.Murray                                            2/08/01
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   Stephen P. Murray                                             Date


**     Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal
       Criminal Violations.

       See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).

Note:  File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed.
       If space provided is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.