How to Make a Homecoming Mum

The chrysanthemum has quite a history, starting in ancient China. Later it became the seal of the Japanese royalty and they even created a mum festival, calling it the Festival of Happiness. In the South, the mum corsage was often given to the girlfriends and the mothers at homecoming football games. Over time, the homecoming mum has evolved into a very fancy display of ribbon and decorations. The mums used now are artificial, but the tradition is still fresh.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 3-inch artificial mum
• Piece of cardstock
• 1/4-inch wide ribbon
• 1/2-inch wide ribbon
• 3/4-inch wide ribbon
• Stapler
• Glue
• Glitter
• Decorations
• String beads
• Thin curly ribbon
• Glitter glue
• Large safety pin

1. Cut out a 4-inch wide circle from your card stock. Cut thirteen 6-inch strips of 3/4-inch ribbon in one school color and fourteen 6-inch strips of 1/4-inch ribbon in the other school color. Put the thin ribbon over the wide ribbon and bring all the ends together creating what looks like a section of a bow. Staple it to the top outside of the circle. Make sure you catch all four ends in the staple.

2. Repeat the process, putting three on one side of top ribbon and three on the other. This will leave a gap at the bottom where you could fit one more. Leave that gap empty. Do the remaining six and put them one row in, so the points of the ribbon are between the ribbons you already have on.

3. Cut ten pieces of ribbon in different lengths with the longest being about 18 inches long with the 1/2-inch ribbon, five in one color and five in the other. Cut the bottoms of the ribbon with an upside-down "V." Lay them down and put on one color, then the other. Have all of the tops of the ribbons together and fan out the bottoms. Staple the tops to the gap in the card stock.

4. Put glue on the most visible ribbon to spell out the name of the football team, going down the ribbon. Sprinkle the opposite color glitter on the glue. Glue on some very thin curly ribbons where you stapled the long ribbons. Attach some string beads to hang down. Glue on some decorations, such as a tiny football or team mascot.

5. Glue the mum to the center of your card stock. Brush the ends lightly with glitter glue then glue a large safety pin to the back. Let all the glue dry overnight and the homecoming mum is ready to wear.

Tips & Warnings

• You can get as fancy as you want with these, so be creative and add lots of decorations.

Resources

• Homecoming mums