A homecoming mum is made up of two basic parts: a floral anchor at the top, and what hangs down from that floral anchor:

The word “mum” is short for “chrysanthemum”, the kind of flower that is traditionally used to anchor the rest of the materials. But to be clear, when you say the word “mum” in Texas, you’re referring to the entire arrangement.

Please note that I have permission to share the following photos, which I first posted with permission on @txhocomum Facebook and Instagram.

Homecoming mum ribbons

Ribbons are the most common material that give a mum movement, color, texture, length, and depth. One set of ribbons typically surround the artificial flower (or flowers), creating a halo or wreath effect. A second set of ribbons are arranged so that they waterfall down from the floral center to at least knee length. On a garter mum, the streaming ribbons are much shorter.

The ribbons themselves provide opportunities for reflecting creativity and individuality. In addition to a single color, ribbons are available in a wide variety of stamped or “dye subbed” patterns.

Looping and braiding ribbons are very popular ways to further enhance the look of homecoming mum ribbons as they cascade. Some braids are fairly simple while others are complex. People who make mums professionally are particularly adept at braiding, sometimes even gaining notoriety (and customers) from the unique braiding styles they offer.

An almost universal method of personalization is for the student to add their name to a ribbon within their homecoming mum. If the student has been asked to homecoming by another student, they typically incorporate their date’s name into their mum design as well.

In addition to ribbons, some students incorporate other ribbon-like materials that add depth and variety to the cascade. These materials can include feather boas, plastic beads, garland, and much more.

You can see in the photo that a plain ribbon has been secured to the top of the girl’s mum in a large loop, so that she can wear her mum like a gigantic necklace. This is very typical. The boy’s garter mum is attached to his arm either by a ribbon or an elastic garter.

I’ve taken some photos of a few styles of looped and braided ribbons, as well as an action shot of mum ribbons as they’re being stapled into place on the mum backer:

In case you’re wondering, my photography is in black and white so you can focus on everything except the school colors. In my book Mumentous, I talk about why that matters.

At most schools, there are unwritten conventions about underclassman vs. senior mums. Generally speaking, senior mums are the biggest, most charismatic, and most open to the interpretation of the wearer. Freshman mums are the smallest (single mum), sophomore mums are a little bigger (single or double mum, depending on the school), and junior mums are a little bigger still (double or triple mum), and all three tend to stick a little more closely to the school color palette and other long-held norms.

Essentially, that’s it. If you have a flower that is embellished with a spirited array of ribbons, you have yourself a homecoming mum. Embellishments beyond that are all about Texas swagger, personal taste, local customs, and individual style.

Homecoming mum trinkets

Homecoming mum trinkets have been around for decades. They’re small decorative charms or tokens, usually made of plastic, that add personalization to the mum. Trinkets come in a variety of colors and are formed into miniature sports equipment, spirit slogans, megaphones, mascots, musical instruments, graduation year charms, hats, boots, and much more.

In addition to pre-fab trinkets, some students weave other small mementoes into their mums, including soap bubble wands, bags of candy, princess carriages and crowns, enamel pins, framed photographs, mp3 players, and more.

Homecoming mum bells

Mums are not only three-dimensional, they have an audio component: bells! From tiny bells to sleigh bells to cow bells, Texas homecoming mums are made to be worn AND heard.

The first time I tried on a mum, I was surprised by how much noise it made when I walked. It adds to the cheekiness of the mum-wearing experience. It also has the added bonus of driving teachers crazy.

Homecoming mum teddy bears

Imagine my surprise when in 2023, New York Times reporter Rachel Sherman reached out to me about a story she was writing about homecoming mums in Texas. She needed a subject matter expert about the evolution of homecoming mums in Texas. She also wanted to get to the bottom of why teddy bears are a thing.

It’s hard to talk about why homecoming mums in Texas are the way they are today without looking back at their history. A customized teddy bear perched in the center of the flower is one of those significant evolutionary steps.

“Teddy bears happened during the jump from real to artificial flowers,” Rachel’s article quoted me as saying. “The teddy bear became a way to further customize your mum, in a way that personifies you.”

Do all mums look alike?

No! And yes.

The variation in today’s homecoming mums in Texas has reached extraordinary heights. I’ve seen tiny mums for fingers, wristlet mums, mums formed in the shape of a sash, mums to be worn on the hip, garter mums for legs and ankles, door mums, and spirit sticks. 

I’ve also seen gigantic mums, over 15 feet high, created by teams of students and faculty members as a class project or simply to express school spirit (and maybe get some local media attention).

In some communities and families, where the mum tradition runs deep, mums are given as gifts when a baby is born. These mums come in pink or blue and are adorned with baby-related trinkets and ribbons with baby’s name, birthdate, and birth weight and length.

And yet, when you get to the point when you know it when you see it, a mum is a mum is a mum is a mum.

Want to learn more about what goes on and in a homecoming mum? Click to learn the rules for homecoming mums.