Yesterday while my saucy sidekick and twin sister, Cindy Daniel helped me craft two bling and zing homecoming mums for our Little Pawners Maryssa and Makenna Mahaney, we talked about the unique history of homecoming mums and the tradition that many Texans have kept alive since the 1950’s. 

Cindy Daniel and Wendy Wortham In My Texas Twins Treasures Workroom

Maryssa and Makenna are pretty picky about having loads of glitter and frills on their mums but the ones you see behind us were actually “on loan” for this project by several of our friends on FB in order to represent several area schools and the unique attributes that make mums personal. 

Our Mini Me Twins- Maryssa and Makenna Mahaney

Since my son Robert had never asked me to make a mum, we relied heavily on help from our friends to get a better grasp of what to add and of course, what not to add to a homecoming mum.  School colors for the twins are blue, white and silver. 

Loaned Homecoming Mums From Our FB Friends

As you can see the ribbon makes up the largest part of the creation with the mum on the top part and unique additions throughout the design.  Some mums can weigh as much as 20 lbs with garter mums being smaller versions of their girlfriends mums that often use the same colors and theme.

While visiting with our interviewer, she shared a unique story of moving to a new school and having several young ladies donate her ribbons from their own mums.  Texas is a friendly state and I’m glad that years later, the generosity of her schoolmates is a find memory of her very first homecoming mum- The Pawning Planners Working On Homecoming Mums For Our Granddaughters.

Since Texans love to “go big,” diving into our very first set of mums would involve a $127 investment for ribbons, ornaments, glue and glitter for two mums.  Cindy and I kept our costs low by visiting 4 different stores to find the best bargains. 

 While many young ladies will get their first mum from a boyfriend, most mothers, grandmothers and family friends often pitch in and make them as a gift for the girls.

Our Little Pawners asked us to make 2 extra designs for their school friends Mia and Mel that resemble their own so Cindy and I had our hands full by separating, gluing and crafting these designs. 

Twin Sisters- Wendy Wortham & Cindy Daniel AKA The Pawning Planners

It’s not unusual for girls to keep their homecoming mums for years as a memento much like a wedding dress which is why so many of our friends still had theirs from many years ago.

A mum can be a huge investment if it’s “store bought” that ranges from $70-$600 or even more if you want the lights and sound.  From Texas themed knick knacks and everything in between, many mums feature very individual tastes.  Football season is a really big deal in Texas and our twins wanted so many different things on their mums that these “creations” may be bigger than they are but at 5’2, Maryssa and Makenna Mahaney are sure wearing them with pride.

 As we finish up our latest dive into mum making, we’ve learned that bigger is better and it’s something that no young lady ever forgets….

Wendy Wortham