A mum (or chrysanthemum) is a silk flower, that has transformed over the years from a real flower with a few ribbons to the elaborate artificial flower now called "MUM" for short with yards of streaming ribbons, bling, bells & more. A mum will be worn by a girl, and the garter is a shorter version of the mum, which is worn by the guys on the arm, or pinned to backpacks depending on size and weight of it. They are worn to school the day of the homecoming game, as well as the night of the homecoming football game. In some regions, it is done during basketball season instead of football. A mum is not to be mistaken for a corsage, which will be needed as well for the homecoming dance. Many have thought they were one in the same, but this is most defiantly not the case. A corsage is a more formal flower to wear with the more formal dress for the dance that usually occurs the day after the homecoming game.

NO! I am sure you might not believe this, but Texas is not the only state that honors the tradition of homecoming mums & garters. There are several schools across the country that honor the tradition such as New Mexico, & Louisiana, but Texas is by far the biggest follower of the tradition.

According to research, the first mums were worn at a homecoming game in Missouri in 1911. At the time it was made from a fresh flower known as a chrysanthemum. However, the Texas tradition didn't become popular until the 1930's. Today's mums are made from an artificial flower, which allows the receiver to have a keepsake for a lifetime.

There are 2 main parts to a mum or garter 1. There is the top of the mum or garter, which is called the crown of the mum. a. This is the very top of the mum or garter that the flower actually sits on. b. It comes in a variety of shapes as well as sizes. 2. The lower part of a mum or garter is called the skirt. a. Depending on if it is a mum or garter will determine the lenght of the skirt. b. If it is a mum the usual skirt lengths usually range about 30" - 36". c. If it is a garter, the skirt length (or base) ranges from 12" - 18". d. Braids & embelishments are usually added to the skirt of the mum or garter.

There are a variety of items that can be added to your design. Some of these are: 1. Bears & Mascots (these can be plain or dressed) 2. Boas - these range in weight, which determine its volume or width. 3. Braids - come in a variety of designs, widths & lengths 4. Custom cutouts - a 2D shape that can represent a variety of things, such as sports, activities, schools, mascots, monograms, etc. 5. Bling - looking for a sparkle in your design, this will achieve that! 6. Bells! 7. Trinkets - an older tradition to represent your activities 8. Anything you can think of!

There are several sizes a homecoming mum or garter come in, but below is a simple breakdown of these. 1. Single Mum or Garter a. A single mum or garter is one of the most popular sizes, and is one of the most frequently selected sizes. b. It comes in 5.5", 6.5" & 7.5" flower sizes, and comes with 1 flower on the crown of the mum. 2. Double Mum or Garter. a. For those looking for a slightly larger sized mum, there is a double size. b. It comes in 6.5" & 7.5" flower sizes, and comes with 2 flower on the crown of the mum. 3. Triple Mum or Garter a. Really looking to wow the crowd? Select a triple size mum. b. Most common flower size for this one is comes in 7.5", and comes with 3 flowers on the crown of the mum. 4. Quadruple Mum or Garter a. As the name suggest - this is a much larger design, and is for those of you not afraid of size. These can be quite large in size usually covering the persons entire body. b. As you may have guessed, it comes with 4 flowers on the crown of the mum that are usually 6.5" - 7.5" in width. 5. Mega Mum a. Not sold on multiple flowers, but still want a very large mum? This is the one for you! b. A Mega mum has a flower that is 9.5" in width, and is one of our newest designs to West Texas. This beauty really gives you plenty of room to show off all that is uniquely you! 6. Sash Mum a. A sash mum is a different structure all together. This is comprised of the actual sash that will wrap your body from shoulder to hip, as well as a crown & skirt starting at the hip going down to your ankles. b. The mums used on the sash part are aprox. 6.5" in width, and can range from 5 - 8 mums in qty for just the sash, plus the mums on the crown of the one that will begin at the hip going down. c. The hip portion of the sash mum can range from a single shape to a triple shape depending on your style. 7. Shaped Mum a. The sky is the limit with shaped mums or garters as these are a completely custom design. b. Shapes can be: Texas shaped, Megaphone shaped, Boot shaped, etc. just to name a few. c. The sizes of the flowers vary on these depending on the shape. Some can range from 2.5" all the way to 7.5" on the same design just to obtain the desired shape. 8. Boot Mum a. These are more popular with drill team members. b. A boot mum is just that, a single mum that will clip to the boot, and go down from there. They usually range from 8" - 10" in total length.