Homecoming mums are a true Texas tradition, letting fans proudly display their high school football spirit during homecoming games.


Fall means high school football. In Texas, bright ribbon and bells are what accompanies the sport.

If you know what mums are then you're probably from Texas or know a Texan who is serious about them.

Mums are adornments high school students or anyone cheering on a football team wear to homecoming games to show their school spirit.

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Chrysanthemum flowers, small teddy bears, bells and ribbons in school colors are put together and worn on the body. Some pin it to their clothes, wear it around their neck or even in their hair. Garters are a smaller version of the mum and are usually worn by boys. 

Mums can be purchased, given as a gift for homecoming or you can make them yourself.

Make them yourself

Helen Nguyen, general manager of Super Crafts and Homecoming, said she and her employees look forward to football season because of mums. The store is filled with ribbons and materials used to make mums and other crafts.

"We have every school for Corpus Christi and the surrounding areas," she said. "It's fun and easy to make them yourself."

Nguyen said sometimes mums can cost up to three times the cost of supplies so she encourages people who shop at her store or follow her business page on Facebook to make them themselves.

"It's not that hard and it's cheaper if you do it," she said. "If anyone comes in here, we'll show them how to do it."

Ann Marie Bellow, a Corpus Christi mom who makes mums for her family every year, said she gets most of her supplies at Superstar Crafts. She was shopping at the store, located at 3820 South Staples St., Tuesday for material to make five homecoming garters, a version of a mum usually worn by boys.

"I go all out and extra and my kids don't like all that crazy stuff so I have to tone down a little bit," she said. 

"Mums have definitely changed over the years," Bellow said. "When we were younger the flower was real. Now it's a silk flower and so you can keep it forever. My niece still has all of hers. She's 21."

"You didn't have like all the glitter and the bling and they light up now and they have boas. They go across your chest or over your whole chest," she said. "I mean, when we were younger it was one mum, some ribbon and a bell and that was it."

What is trending in mums today?

Nguyen said Texas-sized mums are what customers are shopping for in 2018.

"It's not new, but I've sold a lot more this year," she said. "Last year I sold about 10. This season has just started and I've already sold 20."

More: This homecoming mum is the most Texan thing you've seen

"They're just getting bigger and bigger," Nguyen said. "We learn something new all the time. People want new braids and different styles. It used to be all about football, but now I'm seeing them get whatever sport they're in or other things they like. They're putting soccer, volleyball and basketball ribbons."

The newest addition to mums is a deconstructed flower in a braid style and a loop braid. 

"I've never seen this before," Bellow said. "This is new and it's pretty."

Bellow said mums give students morale.

"You feel kind of left out if you don't have one," she said. "It's just all about school spirit. The more stuff you can put of your school in there, the better."

Do you have photos of your showstopping mums? Send them to for a chance to be featured in a gallery. 

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Homecoming games in Corpus Christi

Sept. 14

John Paul II Centurions 

Sept. 21

Banquete  Bulldogs

Carroll Tigers

King Mustangs 

Sept. 28

Moody Trojans

Oct. 5

Calallen Wildcats

Veterans Memorial Eagles

Oct. 12

London Pirates

Miller Buccaneers 

Oct. 19

Alice Coyotes

Flour Bluff Hornets

Gregory-Portland Wildcats

Oct. 26

Agua Dulce Longhorns

Bishop Badgers

Nov. 2

Ray Texans 

Tuloso-Midway Warriors

West Oso Bears

Nov. 9

Robstown Cotton Pickers

The homceoming game date for the Ray Texans was corrected.

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