Homecoming mums
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A homecoming mum is an oversize mum corsage decorated with three-foot long streamers in the school colors with bells, charms, banners, little plush animals done up in bows, sparkly letters and even Christmas tree lights. It is highly popular tradition in schools in the Southwestern United States, especially Oklahoma and Texas. It is usually worn in the middle of the chest like a breastplate with the streamers flowing down the front of the body almost touching the ankles. It is, in short, a fashion statement.
But homecoming mums are so much more than that. They are a sign that somebody loves you. They’re no longer given only by boyfriends. Mums can come from friends, your mom, dad, aunt, or even a booster boy (a boy-friend who is not your date).
A homecoming mum can cost up to $100 and weigh as much as 12 pounds. Homecoming mums have become a status symbol for many junior high and high school students. Designs change every year. The more original, the better.
Homecoming Mums: The Tradition
Chrysanthemums have long been the quintessential Fall flower, so it’s not surprising that they quickly became associated with the quintessential fall sport – football. In the earliest pictures of college football games, you can pick out the mum corsages worn by the young women in the stands. Since everything grows big in Texas, it’s also not surprising that the Lone Star State is credited with developing the more elaborate corsages known as homecoming mums.
Over the years, mums were cultivated to grow bigger and bigger and the corsages grew and grew. Today, the silk flower has replaced the live chrysanthemum as the centerpiece for homecoming mums. With silk flowers, the only size limit to homecoming mum corsages is the size of the wearer
Making Your Own Homecoming Mums: The Basics
The basic supplies for homecoming mums are: standard incurve silk chrysanthemum bloom(s), two cardboard shields or backing disks, plush animals representing the school mascot, jingle bells (if school rules allow), gilded letters, varsity letter stickers, woven ribbon “love chains”, ribbon streamers, curling ribbon, tulle, star garland, glitter and/or glitter spray, charms and/or miniature footballs, helmets, etc., battery packs and lights.
Scissors, a stapler and a hot melt glue gun are also needed.
Refer to the photo above for ideas and inspiration.
Make a Nest for the Mum
First you need to create a frame or nest on one of the backing shields in which to nestle the mum. This can be done with ribbon, tulle or a combination of materials. Ribbon is a very popular nest material because you can create great designs using the school colors.
Here are directions for a simple ribbon nest. It will resemble a pre-made ribbon like the kind stuck on a wrapped present – with ribbon points radiating out like rays of sunshine.
Using blue and gold as an example, the ribbon nest will have two rings of ribbon points. (Make as many as the backing shield and mum require.)
- Cut seven six-inch strips of 1 ½-inch wide “blue” ribbon and seven six-inch strips of 1-inch wide “gold” ribbon
- Lay the “blue” strips on your work surface shiny side up
- Lay one “gold” strip on top of each “blue” one (also shiny side up) so that a striped design in the school colors develops (1/4-inch “blue”, 1-inch “gold”, 1/4-inch “blue”)
- Pick up one pair of strips with the thumb and forefinger of both hands
- Bend the strips backwards, bringing your thumbs and forefingers together so that the strips form a point; overlap the ends slightly and staple them together
- Repeat with the six other pairs
- Arrange the seven stapled ribbon points around three-quarters of the perimeter of one backing shield and staple in place. Leave one-quarter of the perimeter empty to attach your streamers (If seven is too many/few for the backing shield, adjust accordingly.)
- Cut six six-inch strips of 1 ½-inch wide “gold” ribbon and six six-inch strips of 1-inch wide “blue” ribbon
- Form these into points just as before and staple them to the backing to form the inner circle of the nest, again leaving one-quarter of the shield empty for streamers.
Make and Attach Streamers
The length of the basic streamers depends on your design sense as well as the height of the intended wearer. Between two feet and three feet is common. You want to make a statement but you don’t want the wearer to trip and fall.
- Cut six lengths of 1 ½-inch wide “blue” ribbon and five lengths of “gold”. Lay the strips on thework surface shiny side up (You want to form a fan of streamers that will fit into the open triangle of the ribbon point nest)
- Lay a “blue” streamer in the center
- Work out from this center with alternating streamers: “gold”, “blue”, “gold”, etc. Staple all the ribbons together at the top
- Place the streamer fan onto the backing shield and staple it down
- Lay the arrangement out on a large table or on the floor. Trim the streamers as desired
- Many designers like to notch the ends. You can also angle them to a center point. Look at the design and decide whether to embellish some or all of the streamers
- Add glitter or write names with glitter glue. Glue varsity letters down one streamer or sequins and stars down another. The sky’s the limit
Accessorize
Arrange the accessories you wish to hang from the backing shield. When happy with the design, string each one onto a thin ribbon of the appropriate length and staple to the backing shield. Use different lengths so that each individual accessory will be shown to best advantage (you don’t want them covering or clanking into each other).
Weave your love chains and attach them to the shield. If you want ribbon curls, add them now. The same goes for star garland.
Finishing Touches
You’re finally ready to glue the mum in place. Hot melt glue has a short set-up time so work quickly. Liberally squeeze hot melt glue over the center of the baking shield. Position the mum and press down lightly on all the contact points.
If you are adding a plush animal (mascot), attach it the same way you did the mum: liberal hot melt glue; press on all the contact points. A large bow under the mum will help to balance the creation. Use more of the 1 ½-inch ribbon in both school colors.
Make the bow wide – about the same width as the entire corsage. Use hot melt glue to attach it beneath the mum.
The corsage needs a sturdy hanger. Cut a 3 ½-inch piece of 1 ½-inch wide ribbon. Double it into a loop and staple it to the back of the second backing shield.
Glue the two shields together back to back so that the hanging loop is at the top of the design. This hides all of the “works” and covers the staples so that they won’t catch on the wearer’s clothes.
