Vintage Scrapping

Understanding the Mum Business and what it means for the Community

 

Hello my friends!

 

I will try to keep this post short but over the past few years there seems to have been more shaming of the Mum tradition and pushing students towards forgoing the almost 100 year tradition and donating funds.  This effects me as a Mum Small Business Owner directly so I wanted to share my take on this and share some of my experiences over the past few years with Students.

 

I want to start by explaining this #1 MOST IMPORTANT FACT:  All Homecoming Mum Makers are local small business owners.   What does this mean for you?  Small businesses help keep the American economy growing and provide income and taxes paid in your local area.  When you buy from a small business, you are not supporting Multi Million dollar corporations, you are in fact supporting (as in my case) local moms put food on the table for their children and pay for extracurricular activities for their kids.  It provides income for local families who are paying state and local taxes where it goes back into the community.  Also as in my case I have to hire two to three employees every year to help.  One who has worked with me for years uses the money to save up for Christmas every year and help pay her sons day care tuition.  Another used hers to help pay for her college tuition.  

 

Now I must say I am a huge advocate for Charity.   I personally work hours every year with a local charity and donate a set amount of money every month to 3 other charities of my choice.  I will NEVER say that donating is not a wonderful idea.   Where the problem with the Mums has come in is from the mum shaming.   Every year I have students come to me saying they want their mum but are getting a smaller one because they are made to feel badly because they wanted a mum.   Most of these kids donate money in addition to getting their mum.  This is what is wrong.  

 

Here are some bullet points of what I would like people to please understand:

• Boycotting Mums hurts local small business owners.  Not multi million dollar corporations.   So you take away from your community.  The Mum wholesalers are actually located in Texas and Oklahoma as well.
• It does not need to be a binary choice.  Students should be able to enjoy the mum tradition without feeling guilty.  It is possible to both donate AND still participate in the Mum Tradition.
• Why not donate year round?  There have been many people who do not understand the tradition try to use it as a platform of frivolous spending that could be better suited elsewhere.  Let me stop everyone RIGHT THERE.   We are ALL guilty of frivolous spending.  Why attack a long standing tradition only?  Every year I see parents spending $500 to $1000 on a prom dress.   Tuxedo rentals.  Limo Rentals.  If you are so concerned with frivolous spending then why not have a jeans and t shirt prom and donate the funds to charity.  This idea is totally taboo because prom has long been considered a right of passage so to speak for seniors everywhere.  Well here we take our homecoming mums just as serious.  Or how many of us pay hundreds for handbags and shoes?  The list can go on and on.  I will tell you that most girls keep their mums for many years hanging them on display on their bedroom walls.  These are cherished and loved memories you are creating for many people.   I still remember EVERY mum I had over 25 years ago!!
• The Mum tradition has been around for almost 100 years.   Some people love it and some people hate it.   Regardless of how you feel it is a long standing tradition and not all traditions are loved by everyone (i.e. Green Bay fans wearing cheese on their head?? lol!) but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE just respect that it IS a tradition and don't hate on it.   Telling someone their traditions are stupid and ridiculous is both rude and inconsiderate.   We all come from places that have traditions you may not understand - but just appreciate it for being a tradition valued by many. No one will make you participate if you don't want to - that is always a personal choice - but don't shame people for loving a tradition that has been around longer than any of us have been :)

 

I hope this post doesn't offend anyone it wasn't meant to target anyone in particular.   For people who do not like the mum tradition - HEY THAT IS OK TOO!!! We are all entitled to our own opinions!  The point of this post was just to gain some perspective from someone who does love the tradition and wants to see it kept alive.  Its part of our culture here.   It doesn't matter how big or small a mum is - it is just about our long standing tradition.

 

BEWARE OF HOMECOMING MUM FRAUDS!!!

Hello my friends! 

 

I know it has been a long time since I have posted but finally I am sitting down and taking the time to write this post.  As most of you know over the years I was the first to make free tutorials and put them online.  Reason being I simply wanted to help others who wanted to learn the craft or make something amazing for their child.   Homecoming Mums are a fun and crazy tradition and should be enjoyable and I wanted to make the process of either making one or ordering one easier on parents everywhere :)

 

Now for the frauds.  I tend to be the one who speaks up in defense of others or when an injustice is being done and nothing upsets me more than seeing these people take advantage of consumers.  Every year I see these people just "pop up" overnight on Craigslist or Facebook, sometimes even Etsy or a website!  They use other mum makers photos, never original photos of their own work and solicit mum business at deeply discounted prices.   The old piece of advice here is 100% true:  if the deal seems too good to be true then it probably is.

 

 

How to spot some frauds:

• Look for watermarked photos.  Somewhere on some of their photos if you see a business name or logo that is NOT THEIRS then they are illegally using digital copyrighted photos of another persons work.  Another way to spot whether they are using another makers photos is look at their "examples" do they have a similar style?  Or are they all over the place?  I will post a pic below as an example.  Most mum makers have a style that you will find in their work that big or small, you can tell it was made by the same person.  Please look at my website MelzMumz.com and you will see how my "style" is reflected in all of my mums.
• Not in business for long.   Its a new Facebook page or Etsy listing.   Craigslist ads are almost always fly by night frauds UNLESS they have a link in their ad to their website or Facebook page which shows the legitimacy of their business.
• They tell you they can make an exact replica of someone else's work.   Most legitimate mum makers will tell you they can not duplicate exactly but will make something similar with their own style on it.  No one but the original mum maker can actually "duplicate" a mum because they and the owner of said mum are only people who know everything on it.
• Extremely low prices.   This is the biggest indicator.  When they are advertising Mums for $20 - be aware of what $20 gets you.   Go to a retail store and look at the price of ribbon alone.   It is not possible to make a full length custom mum for $20.   
• Ask EXACTLY what is included on the mum.  If they want to say it is only $50 and show you a photo of something that runs $150 everywhere else then you will not be getting a mum like the $150 one.   I have proof of this too!!

 

First here is a photo from a good friend and fellow Mum Maker Kisha Crooks.  A fraudulent mum maker was using Kisha's photo illegally to solicit business.   A customer of hers saw it and knew this was a mum Kisha had made however the lady was offering it at half the price!   So this customer wanted to see what you would actually get and she ordered one.   Remember the picture on the left is what the fraud was using (Kisha's mum) and the mum on the right is what the customer received from this fraud.   When I said if the price is too good to be true then it usually is. 

Now here is another example of a mum fraud.   This was just found last evening.   A lady used 4 different mum makers photos to advertise on Etsy and Facebook!  Not one photo was actually hers.  If you look at the mums none of them resemble each other.  Each mum used a different style of loops on back.   One mum used curling ribbon to hang down.   I know this can be tricky but it is one reason it is better to stay with someone who has been in business at least a couple of years and can provide you with many photos of their own work.

 

I also will be doing a post shortly to explain some of the costs of homecoming mum making.   I hope this helps any possible MUMTATROPHIES from happening to unsuspecting customers.  As always please feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions!   Please visit my website melzmumz.com for Custom Mums, Mum Supplies and Tutorials!   Happy Mum Making!!

 

Melissa

 

 

These are a few of my favorite things.....

My Favorite Crafting Tools

So yes, as I type that the song is playing in my head.  Chances are now it is stuck in your head too - but hey, doesn't that song make everyone happy!!

During my past few years of tasking the know how of the homecoming mum, I get several questions a year about specific items I use or work with.  These tools are vital to crafting but are often overlooked. 

I know that these can get a little pricey, but let's be honest.  If you buy the $2 glue gun, you are going to be waiting forever to get enough glue out or by the time enough gets out, half is already dry.  Or the $5 pair of scissors, do you really wonder why it keeps snagging your ribbon?   Well for a few years of learning through trial and error, I have settled on my favorite products that I have continued to use the past couple of years and will not switch from.   These products (and I DO NOT get paid, free stuff or anything of the like for recommending these - but boy I wish I did!!) are my personal preferences after many years of testing what works.  These tools are what I personally use and love.  Also to make things easier I will post a link to amazon for each specific item. 

Now on with the show!

Staplers:

This is an easy one and there is only one.  No exceptions.

Stanley Bostitch B8 Heavy Duty Plier Stapler.   

First, the stapler is super smooth.  After as much stapling as I do, my hand doesn't hurt from these.  Super easy to squeeze.  Also I like that no matter how many times I drop it, it doesn't ever break! 

 

It is advertised as anti-jam and I can honestly say I have NEVER had one jam on me.

 

Also the fact that these are top loading makes it easier for me to quickly pull the lever back, throw more staples in and shut it - ready to go!

 

 

And look how far it reaches on a 5 1/2" backer!  Much easier to work with especially for stapling all that ribbon on!

 

 

And don't forget your staples!!  They are powercrown staples made specifically for the B8 and I use the 1/4" ones.

 

Glue Guns:

Lots to post here!

I mainly use 3 different glue guns.  The first is my mini detailer.  The Surebonder H-195 Mini Detailed Glue Gun.

I use this glue gun mainly for adding things like rhinestones and lights.  The fine tip is what makes this gun so spectacular.  I can get a little dab of glue or a big glob right exactly where I want it!  It also doesn't get as hot as my other guns so I prefer this for little items so I don't burn myself too badly.  My husband ended up stealing this one from me last year so I had to buy another :-) You can see how fine the point is next to a dime.

 

 

 

The second one is my most powerful and hottest gun.  The Surebonder PRO2-100 100-Watt High Temperature Industrial Glue Gun.

 

I use this gun alot for adding my flowers to the backers, gluing the bears down or gluing the mum top to the streamer backer.  This gun gets extremely hot which keeps the glue melted longer giving you more time to work with it before it dries.  Elimates the rush of trying to place items before the glue dries!  But be warned - if you burn yourself  - OOOUUCH!!!

 

 

 

I saved the best for last.  This is my FAVORITE!   #1 reason this is my fav - dual heaters!  That's right!!! DUAL HEATERS! The Surebonder HE-750 Professional High Temp 2 Heater Glue Gun - my most favorite glue gun EVER!

It heats the glue super fast so I can pump lots of glue as fast as I need to  - but make no mistake this one is a super hot gun too so be careful!! It is an 80 watt gun so your glue will stay melted longer as well.  I have never had clogging or leaking problems, it has been nothing but wonderful for me!  The handle feels more ergonimical to me and makes it easier to use.  Best thing about this gun for me - I have three of them and have NEVER had one burn out.

 

Now I do want to note that the nozzles you see on the two large glue guns (The Surebonder Pro 2 and the HE 750) did not come on these guns.  They come with the normal nozzle shown on amazon.  I used the normal nozzles until I found these bad boys last year and this is what you see on my guns now :

Surebonder 6000 Glue Gun Nozzle Assorment Set

 

 

 

Now this last one will look a little weird and it new to me this year - but so far I am really liking it!  It is the Surebonder 7" Electric Glue Skillet. 

 

 It has an adjustable temp on it and uses the little Diamond Cubes Hot Skillet Glue.  I am using this mainly for dipping the back of my bears in it before putting on the mum.   Also adding picks and sprays to the top, it's easier to just dip the stem in the glue!  In the picture you can see it sitting on a pink heat resistant silicone mat.  These are essential with the glue guns, the glue just peels right off and it protects the table as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scissors:

These are actually new to me this year and I LOVE THEM!!  They are theFiskars 5" Titanium Micro Tip Easy Action Scissors    and have a spring handle action which makes clipping a breeze.  The tiny fine point lets you get into really tight corners.   

 

The Tonic Studios Tim Holtz Non Stick Micro Serrated 7" Snippers are amazing.  I have two pairs and swear by them.  The tiny tip gets into tight corners but these things are also incredibly strong.  I have cut all guages of wire and plastics with these and they just keep on cutting!  The wide handle makes them easier to hold too.

 

 MY # 1 CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT SCISSORS!!!!!!!    The Gingher 8" Gold Handle Knife Edge Bent Trimmers.  I actually thought I lost them last year, panicked and immediately bought another pair (turned out they were hiding under the couch).  These are not cheap but MAN they cut through ribbon LIKE BUTTER!!!  Thick ribbon, thin ribbon it doesn't matter what kind of ribbon - they are hands down my favorite scissors.

 

 2nd Fav!   These are Gingher also.  The Gingher 8" Featherweight Dressmaker Shears are extremely light weight (making them my hubby's favorite).  They are excellent at cutting ribbon and never snag. 

 

 When my hands are hurting or cramping I reach for these Fiskars 8" Premier Easy Action Bent Soft Touch Scissors.  The spring loaded scissors are much easier on the hands.  Like the fine tip ones at the beginning, these have a safety latch.  Once open, instead of pulling your hands out to open scissors, they automatically stay open and you only close them to cut.   If your hands tend to hurt while crafting or cutting alot, you would really benefit from these!!  The picture on the right is what they look like when you turn the safety latch to off.  They automatically stay open.

 

 

 

 

 

Misc Other Tools:

 

These are a MUST for me.  Tweezers.  But not any tweezer, the push to open tweezers.  I tend to have to pick up rhinestones and stickers with these and I love that I don't have to keep pressure on them to hold them.  The tweezers automatically use the right pressure.  I must say too, that all of these are not equal.  I have tried several different brands and the EK Tools Craft Tweezers are by far superior to the other.   A close second would be the new cricut ones that have come out.  I tried the We R Memory Keepers but they were way too weak and wouldn't hold anything.

 

 

 

 

 

We R Memory Keepers Crop-A-Dile.  I know this is super weird looking but I have the small one and the large one both and use them all the time to punch holes.  They have two different hole punch settings, but are so helpful for me to punch holes anywhere I need to on the backer or on ribbon to tie onto.  UPDATE!!!  I have a new one I enjoy more!!  We R Memory Keepers Power Punch!

 Large Crop-A-Dile II Big Bite

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ott Lamps.  We overlook the lighting factor alot, but once I put money into good crafting lamps, I found it is much easier on my eyes and of course you see true color better when you are working at 2 am.

 

 

 

 

 

1" Hole Punch.  I like this style punch personally but any brand would do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ranger 15" by 18" Inkssentials Craft Sheet.  I love this - everything comes off of it (ink, glue, etc.).  Even though I have a large mat on my table, I like this to have an area where I do messier stuff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 So there you have it!  These are the tools I can't live without!

 

Hope you enjoyed!!

Melissa 

How to Make a Finger Mum & How to Make a Wrist Mum!

Finally!!!

I have created a step by step finger mum picture tutorial and a step by step wrist mum tutorial!  They are available for sale on the right side bar and will be emailed directly to you!!  These are printable versions and are very detailed with tons of pictures!! 

 

Also available FOR FREE is a printable version of the directions I have for my mum kits which are loaded with over 30 pictures each!  You can find these on my webpage MelzMumz.com Make Your Own Mum Kit.  Scroll to the very bottom of that page and you will see the free printable directions for a single mum, double mum, triple mum, and garter!!

 

PLEASE DON'T FORGET to click on the Mums Tutorials tab at the top for TONS of free step by step picture tutorials and everything you would want to know about Homecoming Mums!!

2013 MEGA SUPER SIZE SINGLE HOMECOMING MUM!!

Super fast post!  Just wanted to show a quick pic on one of my new 2013 MEGA Super Size Single Homecoming Mums.  This has all the new 2013 items.  The picture isn't that great because I took it with my phone.  You can't see half the stuff that is on this thing!  I counted 7 braids alone!  Plus more custom made items :-) Anyhow I just wanted to post a quick pic of it!  I'll be retaking a better photo to put on my website this weekend. 

MEGA Super Size Single Homecoming Mum made by www.melzmumz.com

 Hope you enjoy it!

Have a great weekend!

Melissa

Inspiration for Mum Kits: TIME & MONEY!!!!

So I had to make a quick post to show this!   I went to the local craft store a few weeks ago roaming around and they had their homecoming stuff out and I thought "well why not check it out!"

 

Well I'm glad I did.  I know that the cost of materials has greatly increased.  I can honestly tell you that most suppliers have gone up anywhere from 15% to 30% on their wholesale prices over the past couple of years.  HOWEVER - I could NOT believe the prices in the store!

 

 

No wonder so many people complain about the high cost of making homecoming mums!  Well, I took my time and started to go through and pick out all the basic items needed to make a single homecoming mum WOW!  I couldn't believe what it added up to!  Not to mention, you have to buy packs of some things (like pipe cleaner or jingle bells) and you don't need a whole pack (that just forces you to spend more money).  Oh........yeah, it's a store, of course they want you to spend more money than you need to.

 

That was when I decided I wanted to start making mum kits.  I know so many enjoy making their own mums but dread fighting the crowd during homecoming mum season and are tired of buying so much more than they need.  Not to mention the multiple trips to different stores because of inventory (every year they run out of something - flowers, bears, backers, etc).  For those of you who have shopped during mum season you know what I'm talking about.  Standing in line waiting your turn to cut some ribbon only to have someone jump up in front of you!  Or having to look "around" other people trying to see what trinkets are on the wall.  AND don't forget the multiple trips to the store!  THAT'S RIGHT!! Every year I hear people over and over say how many times they have had to go back to the store because they forgot the backers or forgot the solid ribbon, etc. 

I sat down and made a mum from start to finish to figure each piece needed to create a really nice mum - not one of those small dinky ones you see hanging in the craft store - a more substantial size mum with sufficient ribbon and items.  And that is what is in the mum kit!!

If you are curious as to the price difference from the local craft store, here was my break down after I went "shopping":

 

Single Mum

• 7" White Flower $6.99
• 2 Pack of 6" Round Backers $1.49 (had to buy 2)
• 1 Military Braid $8.99
• 3pk Cowbells $2.99
• 2 Jingle Bells had to buy a whole bag for $5
• 3 Large Trinkets $1 each
• 3 Medium Trinkets $1.49 for a 2 pack
• 4 Small Trinkets $1.49 for a 3 pack
• Class Star $1.29 for a 2 pack
• 20 yards #16 Ribbon $12
• 12 yards #9 Ribbon $6
• 4 yards #5 Ribbon $2
• 2 yards #3 Ribbon $1
• Garland  $5.99 for 9 feet
• Beads $1.99 for 9 feet
• 1 yard Honeycomb Ribbon $1.50
• 1 yard Superlane Ribbon $1.50
• 1 yard Ice Crunch Ribbon $1.00
• 2 yards Metallic Mylar #9 Ribbon $2
• 2 yards Metallic Mylar #5 Ribbon $2
• 3 Printed Ribbons $4
• 1 Printed Class Ribbon $1.40
• Roll of Curling Ribbon $1.99
• Homecoming Stickers $2.49
• Stickers For Name $.49 per letter
• 1 Yard Satin Ribbon for Neck $1
• Bow  $1.49
• Pipe Cleaner  $1.99 (for 20)
• TOTAL  $93.44

 

WOW!!! I couldn't believe the price!  Even with a 40% off 1 item coupon and a 10% off Homecoming items coupon, it was still much higher than a kit!!  The average was $30 more (using coupons) and could go higher!

PLUS the kits come with step by step picture instructions!  You won't find that in the store!! We do also offer additional items to buy to make your mum even bigger and fuller! Save time and money and buy a kit - MUCH EASIER!!

 

NOW FOR FREE - DOWNLOAD OUR STEP BY STEP PICTURE TUTORIAL FOR SINGLE HOMECOMING MUM, DOUBLE HOMECOMING MUM, TRIPLE HOMECOMING MUM & HOMECOMING GARTER!  Located at our website MelzMumz.com Make Your Own Mum Kit.  Scroll to very bottom of page and you will see the FREE printable instructions!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring 2013 Triple Homecoming Mum Favorite

One more Triple Mega Homecoming Mum :-)

 

Wanted to post just this one real quick.  This one was for Miss Jocelyn who is a Senior this year and since she loves Zebra I wanted to incorporate it into the Senior design.    This is one of my favorite Triples for this year!  This one was HUGE!

 

made by www.melzmumz.com Mega Triple Senior Homecoming Mum with Zebra Accents

 

Here are a couple of more close up photos where you can see a little more of the detail.

 

 

made by www.melzmumz.com Mega Triple Senior Homecoming Mum with Zebra Accent

made by www.melzmumz.com Mega Triple Senior Homecoming Mum with Zebra Accent

 

 

 

 

 

And a close up of the top!  This way you can see my princess bear!

 

made by www.melzmumz.com Close up of Princess Bear with Zebra Accent

 

 

Well that was it!  Just a quick post of that mum!! 

Thanks for looking and happy crafting!

Melissa

Deluxe Make your Own Custom Mum Kit!

SAVE TIME AND SAVE MONEY!!

 

We have made an easier way of buying your homecoming mum supplies:

 DO - IT - YOURSELF MUM KITS. 

These kits are a much easier and economical way to get everything you need to make a Homecoming Mum or Garter!

 

• No fighting your way through the homecoming isles at the local craft store trying to grab pieces you need (if you have experienced this - you KNOW WHAT I MEAN!)
• No multiple trips to the craft store to pick up items you forgot
• No multiple craft stores to visit trying to find all the supplies you need! (Because they ALWAYS run out of something that is a necessity!)
• MUCH CHEAPER than buying these individual supplies at the craft store (I compared prices with two difference local stores and these kits easily save you anywhere from $20 to $35!)
• No guessing - this has EVERYTHING you need to make an AWESOME Homecoming Mum or Garter! Most kits only offer the bare bones basics - these kits have more ribbon, trinkets and extras that most don't offer!!  You won't be making a rinky dink little mum - these are more substantial (just look at photos below!) than any off the shelf ones at the local stores!
•  More Variety!   Most trinkets come 2 to a pack at the store forcing you to buy more than you need.  This way you get a better mix of items!  Only buying what you NEED!
• Customizable - need more ribbon to make a braid?  No problem - add it on!  Or need a band theme?  Add it on!!  These are called Boosters to personalize your mum or garter!
• Mailed straight to your front door!
• All solid acetate ribbon is in continuous yardage per color so YOU decide the lenth you want the streamers - no wasting ribbon!
• STEP BY STEP PICTURE TUTORIALS INCLUDED!!!!! 

There are 4 kits:

1. Single Homecoming Mum Kit 
   
2. Double Homecoming Mum Kit 
   
3. Triple Homecoming Mum Kit 
   
4. Single Homecoming Garter Kit

BUY ONLINE AT: www.MelzMumz.com

NOW AVAILABLE FOR FREE - PRINTABLE INSTRUCTIONS FOR SINGLE, DOUBLE, TRIPLE HOMECOMING MUMS AND GARTERS!!  Go to Melz Make Your Own Mum Kit, and you will find printable instructions there for free!!

 

Here are the details of each Kit with pictures of the kit and pictures of a mum made ONLY WITH THE ITEMS INCLUDED IN KIT followed by details of Extras Boosters you can add on.  I wanted to show just how much stuff you get in these and just how detailed of a mum you can make with what is in the box!  

Single Homecoming Mum Kit

 

MelzMumz.com Single Homecoming Mum Kit

Single Homecoming Mum made with MelzMumz.com Single Homecoming Mum Kit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Single Homecoming Mum Kit $Includes:

• One - 6.5" Flower (or you can upgrade to the 7.25" 21 Layer flower)
  
• Four - 6" Round Backers (you will use 3 for making the mum and 1 extra for just in case!)
• Piece of Pipe Cleaner to Attach Flower
• 1.5 yards Satin Ribbon to tie around neck
• One - 36" Military Braid
• One - 3/8" Pull Bow (for end of braid)
• 2 Jinglebells
• One - 1" Cowbell (for end of braid)
• 3 Large Trinkets
• 3 Medium Trinkets
• 4 Small Trinkets
• 1 Class Star
• 20 yards #16 Satin Acetate (2" wide ribbon) in school colors (for mum top, streamers and homecoming loop)
• 12 yards #9 Satin Acetate (1.25" wide ribbon) in school colors (for mum top, streamers and homecoming loop)
• 4  yards #5 Satin Acetate (7/8" wide) in school colors (for mum top)
• 2  yards #3 Satin Acetate (3/8" wide) in school colors  (for mum top)
• 2 yards #5 Metallic Mylar
• 2 yards #9 Metallic Mylar
• 1 strand Garland
• 1 strand Beads
• One 36" Honeycomb Streamer
• One 36" Superlane Streamer
• One 36" Ice Crunch Streamer
• Three 36" #9 Printed Ribbons
• One 36" Class Ribbon (Freshman, Sophomore etc)
• 5 yards curling ribbon (to hang or tie trinkets on with)
• HOMECOMING 1.25" Block Letter Stickers
• Stickers for up to 2 Names
• PRINTED TUTORIAL - STEP BY STEP WITH PICTURES!

 

Double Homecoming Mum Kit

 

MelzMumz.com Double Homecoming Mum Kit

Double Homecoming Mum made with www.melzmumz.com Double Homecoming Mum Kit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Double Homecoming Mum Kit Includes:

• Two - 6 1/2" Flowers (or you can upgrade to the 7.25" 21 Layer Flower)
  
• Four - Oval Backers (you will use 3 for making the mum and 1 extra for just in case!)
• Two pieces of Pipe Cleaner to Attach Flower
• 1.5 yards Satin Ribbon to Tie around Neck
• One - 36" Military Braid
• One - 3/8" Pull Bow (for end of braid)
• Two Jinglebells
• One - 1" Cowbell (for end of braid)
• 3 Large Trinkets
• 3 Medium Trinkets
• 4 Small Trinkets
• 1 Class Star
• 20 yards #16 Satin Acetate (2" wide ribbon) in school colors (for mum top, streamers and homecoming loop)
• 12 yards #9 Satin Acetate (1.25" wide ribbon) in school colors (for mum top, streamers and homecoming loop)
• 4  yards #5 Satin Acetate (7/8" wide) in school colors (for mum top)
• 2  yards #3 Satin Acetate (3/8" wide) in school colors  (for mum top)
• 2 yards #5 Metallic Mylar
• 2 yards #9 Metallic Mylar
• 1 strand Garland
• 1 strand Beads
• One 36" Honeycomb Streamer
• One 36" Superlane Streamer
• One 36" Ice Crunch Streamer
• Three 36" #9 Printed Ribbons
• One 36" Class Ribbon (Freshman, Sophomore, etc)
• 5 yards curling ribbon (to hang or tie trinkets on with)
• HOMECOMING  1.25" Block Letter Stickers
• Stickers for up to two Names
• PRINTED TUTORIAL - STEP BY STEP WITH PICTURES!

 

Triple Homecoming Mum Kit

 

MelzMumz.com Triple Homecoming Mum Kit

Triple Homecoming Mum made with www.melzmumz.com Triple Homecoming Mum Kit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Triple Homecoming Mum Kit Includes:

• Three - 6 1/2" Flowers (Or you can upgrade to the 7.25" 21 Layer Flower)
  
• Four - Heart shaped Backers (you will use 3 for making the mum and 1 extra for just in case!)
• 3 Pieces of Pipe Cleaner to Attach Flower
• 1.5 yards Satin Ribbon to Tie around Neck
• One - 36" Military Braid
• One - 3/8" Pull Bow (for end of braid)
• Two Jinglebells
• One - 1" Cowbell (for end of braid)
• One - 1.25" Cowbell
• 4 Large Trinkets
• 4 Medium Trinkets
• 4 Small Trinkets
• 1 Class Star
• 22 yards #16 Satin Acetate (2" wide ribbon) in school colors (for mum top, streamers and homecoming loop)
• 14 yards #9 Satin Acetate (1.25" wide ribbon) in school colors (for mum top, streamers and homecoming loop)
• 6  yards #5 Satin Acetate (7/8" wide) in school colors (for mum top)
• 4  yards #3 Satin Acetate (3/8" wide) in school colors  (for mum top)
• 2 yards #5 Metallic Mylar
• 2 yards #9 Metallic Mylar
• 2 strands Garland
• 1 strand Beads
• Two 36" Honeycomb Streamers
• One 36" Superlane Streamer
• Two 36" Ice Crunch Streamer
• Four 36" #9 Printed Ribbons
• One 36" Class Ribbon (Freshman, Sophomore, etc)
• 5 yards curling ribbon (to hang or tie trinkets on with)
• HOMECOMING  1.25" Block Letter Stickers
• Stickers for up to two Names
• PRINTED TUTORIAL - STEP BY STEP WITH PICTURES!

Homecoming Garter Kit

 

MelzMumz.com Homecoming Garter Kit

Garter made with MelzMumz.com Homecoming Garter Kit

 

 

Single Homecoming Garter Kit Includes:

• One - 5.5" Flower
• 1 Piece Pipe Cleaner to attach flower
• One - Single White Satin Garter
• Four - 4" Round Backers (you will use 3 for making the mum and 1 extra for just in case!)
• One - 16" Military Braid
• One - 3/8" Pull Bow (for end of braid)
• One - 1" Cowbell (for end of braid)
• 4 Medium Trinkets
• 3 Small Trinkets
• 1 Class Star
• 4 yards #16 Satin Acetate (2" wide ribbon) in school colors (for streamers)
• 12 yards #9 Satin Acetate (1.25" wide ribbon) in school colors (for mum top & streamers)
• 8  yards #5 Satin Acetate (7/8" wide) in school colors (for mum top & streamers)
• 3  yards #3 Satin Acetate (3/8" wide) in school colors  (for mum top)
• One 16" strand Garland
• One 16" Half Honeycomb Streamer
• One 16" Superlane Streamer
• One 16" Ice Crunch Streamer
• Two 16" #5 Metallic Mylar Ribbon Streamers
• Three 16" #9 Printed Ribbon
• One 16" Class Ribbon (Freshman, Sophomore etc)
• 5 yards curling ribbon (to hang or tie trinkets on with)
• HOMECOMING   .5" Block Letter Stickers
• Stickers for up to two Names
• PRINTED TUTORIAL - STEP BY STEP WITH PICTURES!

 

 

There are also Boosters you can add such as:

Bears, Band, All sports, extra ribbon, lights, boas and so much more!!  One stop shop for Homecoming Supplies!!

 

 

 

 

Guide to Buying a Homecoming Mum / Garter or Mum Supplies

If you are in the market to buy a Homecoming Mum or Garter, here are some guidelines to help "walk" you through the process to make it as easy as possible!

If you are needing to buy supplies to make your own mum or garter - go further down in post - there is also a printable shopping list at bottom. We also now have Free Printable Step by Step Picture instructions for all mum sizes & garters.  See details towards bottom of page.

 Buying a Homecoming Mum or Garter:

1. Find a Mum Maker:  The easiest way I have found is to Google Homecoming Mums and the name of the school you need it for.  Reason being, most mum makers will list the schools they make mums for so it will give you more local return listings.  There are alot of mum makers that ship as well (myself included) so if you google homecoming mums by itself, it will pull up alot of your bigger mum makers.   As far as pricing goes, from what I have determined, is that you will make out a little better with mum makers that include most things in their price.  If you have to pick out and pay for every single printed ribbon, metallic ribbon, trinket etc, it usually will cost more and they are working with only the items you specifically purchased.  I have based this off of other mum makers order forms and added up everything I put on one of my mums and theirs add up to way more.  Usually they use the inital low low price to get people in the door but that will be for points, flower and plain streamers and that is it.  Remember, cheap doesn't always make it good and expensive doesn't necessarily make it the best - look at their pictures or go see them in person - it gives you a better idea of what they can create and what you will be getting for your money.
2. Know what size you need/want:  Freshman are a Single, Sophomores are a Double, Juniors are a Triple and Seniors are Quads.  HOWEVER, Seniors,, Juniors and Sophomores can all do a single if they prefer and most Seniors tend to go for a Triple or my Super Size Single which is a HUGE single mum.  The only thing you don't want to do here is order a double for a freshman,  triple for a freshman or sophomore or a Quad for a Freshman, Sophomore or Junior.  If you go by that, then you'll be ok.  Look at my post, what size? what to buy? to get more specifics on this.
3. Figure out your budget:  Know what you are willing to spend.  There are so many options out there ranging from the most basic of mums to the most elaborate.   There is no right or wrong here.  Try to remember to be fair.  Do not expect to pay $50 for a MEGA mum.  It isn't possible, the wholesale cost of supplies alone will far surpass that not to mention the time it takes to make one.  Be reasonable and once you know what you are willing to spend, base your selections off of that and you will not be disappointed.  But do look at some of their finished product before you decide who to go with and what their exact prices are - you want to make sure you are getting your money's worth too!!  It seems if people don't want to put their pricing out there easy to find, then they might have a reason they hide it. 
4. Ribbons:  For Freshman, Sophomore and Junior the mum/garter must be in the school colors.  Adding a little bit of accent color (such as purple or zebra etc) is acceptable.  Seniors are all white/silver or white/gold (this is where most get an accent color of choice).    Be sure to have metallic ribbons and printed ribbons - they really pop and make a huge difference in the end result!! 
5. Braids:  Try to find something that has some braids and loops - these help the mum look fuller.  Especially braids like the military, curly q and box braid since they are more 3 dimensional.
6. Get a boa:  They don't cost alot but look awesome on the mum!!
7. Bells are a must:  At least have a few on there!!
8. Put the name on there:  If you are giving this to your date - put both names on there. 
9. Add the personal touch:  If the person plays a sport or is on drill team, cheerleading, etc - have something representing that.  If they love something in particular (let's say pigs) then have a little piggy put on there.  If they are in band/choir have music notes on there, etc. You get the idea :-)

 

 

Buying Supplies to Make Your Own Mum or Garter: Here is a Download Shopping List to help you in the store so you don't forget anything!! Or if you want to save lots of time, money and some sanity, skip the store and check out my deluxe homecoming mum and garter kits just packed full of everything you need to make a complete mum or garter and MUCH cheaper than your local craft store!!  AND NOW to help you even more - we have our step by step picture instructions for single, double & triple homecoming mums and homecoming garters FOR FREE!!!  On our website MelzMumz.com Make Your Own Mum Kit scroll to very bottom of page and the free instructions are there!

1. Backers:  You will need at least 3 (I believe 2 come in a pack) and if it is a single mum you will need the 6" round backers, if it is a double mum you will need the oval backers and if it is a triple you will need the heart shaped backers.  For single garters you will buy the 4" round backers.  I use 3 backers on each mum/garter I make (1 for the top decorated part, 1 for all the hanging ribbons and braids and 1 to finish the back nice and neat).  I would recommend buying two packs because you may mess up one of the backers (which happens alot) and this way you wouldn't have to run to store to get another one.
2. Flowers:  You need however many for the size you are making (1 for single, 2 for double etc.)  For mums you want at least a 6 1/2" flower or bigger (I use 7 1/2") and try to find ones that have alot of layers (they look fluffier).  11 layer is the thinest, you want 15 layers or more (I use 21 layer flowers and they make a huge difference).  For a garter the smallest size flower I would use is a 4 1/2".  Most common is the 5 1/2 flower for a garter but if you want a bigger one then go up to a 6 1/2" (I use the 5 1/2" on my Deluxe and 6 1/2" on my Mega Garters)
3. Ribbon:  Now this is my personal recommendation.  Of course you can go with more or less, this is just what I recommend (I personally use a little more ribbon than this on mine but it's only because I make mine overloaded). 
   
   1. Solid streamers (school colors for Freshman, Sophomores and Juniors.  All white and Silver or Gold for Seniors.) 
      1. #16 Solid Ribbon:  This ribbon is 2" wide and will be the base of the mum.  For Singles and Doubles I would recommend at least 12 yards of this for the base.  You most likely will use some of this around the top of the mum as well which would take another 2 yards and if you use some on a homecoming or name loop - that will take another 3 yards.  For a triple or bigger - you will need at least 15 yards or more for the base.  For a garters keep the rule of "half" in mind - you will need half the amount of yardage for the base, braids etc. So 6 yards for a garter.
      2. #9 Solid Ribbon:   This ribbon is 1- 5/16"  This ribbon helps the mum/garter move and you want to put this on top of the #16 ribbon.  Alot of the printed ribbon is in this size.  You also will most likely use this size on the top of the mum so I would suggest getting 10 yards of this size in your school colors.  Garters do the same on this because you will use more of this size on the base than the mums do.
      3. #5 Solid Ribbon:  This ribbon is 7/8"  and is mainly used for braids.  I use this for my box braids, diamondback braids and you can do the victory braid with it as well.  This is also used around the top alot as well.  For braids - for the box braid I use 4 yards of 3 colors to make a 36" braid.  If you use it around the top you will need an additional 2 to 3 yards.
      4. #3 Solid Ribbon:  This ribbon is 5/8" and is mainly used for braids.  I use this for my military, victory, whip, sometimes for a box braid, and my curly q braid.  Military takes 4 yards of 2 colors, victory takes 1 yard of 4 colors and box takes 4 yards of 3 colors.
   2. Printed Ribbons:  I suggest getting anywhere from 4 to 15 - this will be your personal preference.  I put alot of printed ribbons on mine but I like the way they look.  Breaks up the solid color.
   3. Metallic Ribbons:  These are important.  They add the sparkle to the mum the most.  There of course is the solid mylar which I use in all of my braids (substitute it for one of the solid colors and mix solid with the mylar).  Most popular is the honeycomb which you can use to hang trinkets from too.  Ice Crunch is great - it really catches the light and I use it and the honeycomb ribbon on my homecoming/name loops and around the top of the mum.  If you are wanting to use honeycomb or ice crunch on a homecoming/name loop you will need at least 3 yards continuous for this and if you want to use it around the top you will need 2 yards continuous. 
   4. Clear Ribbons:  I love the clear ribbons because the metallic printing on them really pops but they aren't necessary.  Personally I try to put 2 or 3 on all my mums/garters.
   5. Silk or Specialty Ribbons:  I use these on all of my Mega Mums.  You will have to venture off the homecoming isle to the Christmas or Ribbon isle to find unique wired ribbons.  I use this type for the homecoming loops and around the top of the mum. Also use this for all of my Deluxe mums for the top of the mum and bows.
   6. Bows:  I put this here as a reminder that if you are wanting to bows on stuff be sure to get extra ribbon for that.
   7. Neck Ribbon:  This will most likely be over by the wedding stuff or ribbon isles but try to look for a spool of soft silky ribbon to use to tie around the neck.  If you are pinning it on then just a little piece of your satin acetate and you will be fine.
4. Trinkets, Garland and Bells:  So now go back to the main homecoming isle and start your search.  First find the section of the colors you need and start picking.  You can get however many you want and this is just picking what you like.   Be sure to get at least one package of garland.  Don't forget your cowbells - many sizes here so find what you like and if you move over to the crafting isles you will usually find jingle bells here.  Now if you aren't making your own braids - then be sure to pick up a couple of those too. 
5. Bear:  Get a bear for the mum - whichever size you prefer.  If you don't want a bear then be thinking about what else you are going to put as the centerpiece.
6. If you are making a garter DON'T FORGET YOUR GARTER - these are usually hanging by trinkets, etc.
7. Extras:  Go pick up some rhinestones or venture over to Christmas isle - lots of fun things here - this is where you will pick up neat little items to put on your mum.  Find you a boa or feathers over on the crafting isles.  Rhinestones and charms in the jewelry section.  Fabric if you are going to dress your bear, etc.
8. Glue, Scissors and Staples:  Don't forget these - you will get home and say "well now how the heck am I supposed to put this together"??!!!  For most sizes, one bag of glue should be plenty.  I know most people have scissors in their home, however if you don't have a sharp pair you might want to invest in a new good pair of scissors so you don't snag your ribbon when you are cutting it.

Download Shopping List

And don't forget all my tutorials!!

NOW FOR FREE - our step by step picture tutorials for Single, Double & Triple Homecoming Mums and Homecoming Garters!!

Visit our site MelzMumz.com Make Your Own Homecoming Mum page and scroll to very bottom of page and printable instructions are there - for FREE!!

 

Hope this helps a little and HAPPY MUM SHOPPING!!!

Melissa

2012 Homecoming Garters

 

Alrighty Roo!!  Garter time!

 

Have lots to show sooooooooo lets start with the big ones!

 

Triple Mega Homecoming Garter made by www.melzmumz.com

 

Well, believe it or not this is a garter!  I actually had several triple garters this year!  This one was for a Junior at Concordia Lutheran.  It has lights on it as well.  This year I had made some custom tassels and you can see it on the right middle of the body in the picture above.  They really made a neat addition.  Oh - here you can see below just how big this thing is when wearing it.  

 

Triple Mega Homecoming Garter made by www.melzmumz.com

 

This is my amazing husband who modeled the garter for me which turned out to be pretty funny at the time.  I asked him to wear it so I could take a picture.  When I started putting it on his arm he realized it wasn't a mum and said "WAIT!!! THIS IS FOR A GUY??!!!!  DOES HE KNOW HE HAS TO WEAR THIS!!!!??"   I laughed so hard.  He really thought it was a mum - he had no idea that even the guys garters get big and crazy now too!  Believe it or not I actually had several this size this year!

 

 

Triple Mega Homecoming Garter made by www.melzmumz.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next I will show you a couple of my doubles.   

 

This was my favorite double mega garter this year because it was so fun!  The guy that wore this wanted a Batman themed garter so what better way to show it than with BATBEAR!!

 

 

Double Mega Homecoming Garter made by www.melzmumz.com

 

It had lights on it too but of course you can't see them in the picture.  Here is a little bit closer up of a pic.  He had a cape and everything!! 

 

Double Mega Homecoming Garter made by www.melzmumz.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 OK don't laugh (all you moms out there are going to completely understand what I did) but the real test for me to see if my Batbear was realistic was showing it to my 5 year old son and saying "who is this??" and he said BATMAN BEAR!!  Phew - I did it!  Then of course the next thing out of his mouth was "is that for me??"   so guess how many BAT BEARS I ended up making :-)

 

 

This is a Mega Double Garter for Grapevine High School.  She wanted green accents added to it with a fishing and sweetheart theme.  I found the cutest little fish to put on the end of the braids! 

Double Mega Homecoming Garter    Senior Grapevine High School made by www.melzmumz.com

 

 

 

 

 

Mega Double Homecoming Garter  Senior Grapevine High School  made by www.melzmumz.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is another Grapevine High School Mega Double Garter for a senior.  She wanted royal blue accents and a baseball theme.  Now it's really hard to tell from the pictures just how big these things are.  The doubles are as wide as that triple my husband is wearing up top.

 

 

Mega Double Homecoming Garter Senior Grapevine High School made by www.melzmumz.com

 

Oh wait!  I do have a pic of one being worn!! 

Mega Double Garter and Mega Quad Homecoming Mum made by www.melzmumz.com

This is the batbear!  I actually made both the garter and the quad in this picture.

 

At least this gives a better idea of how big the garter is!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now for some Mega Single Garters!     

 

Mega Single Homecoming Garter Wakeland High School made by www.melzmumz.com

Mega Single Homecoming Garter Flower Mound High School made by www.melzmumz.com

Mega Single Homecoming Garter Marcus High School made by www.melzmumz.com

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are all Mega Single Homecoming Garters.  They are REALLY big garters as well.  The flower is a 6 1/2 " flower!    You can see how I try to made each one specific to the person wearing it.  This one on the left was a football theme and the one on the right was for FFA - he showed pigs (see the tiny 1st place ribbon I made for the little piggy!!)

 

 

 

OK so this is one of the craziest ones I have done!  The guy wearing this was into hunting BIG TIME - and he wanted snow camo ribbon and orange ribbon worked in.  I had this crazy idea in my head and searched high and low and found this perfect deer hear and MOUNTED IT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FLOWER!!!  Isn't that cool!!  They LOVED it!!! 

 

 

Mega Single Homecoming Garter Marcus High School made by www.melzmumz.com

 

Here is another one that took me a while.  The guy wearing this loved wakeboarding.  So I looked up pictures of wakeboards and MADE ONE!  Look closely - it even says O'Brien on the board!!

 

 

Mega Single Homecoming Garter Coppell High School Senior made by www.melzmumz.com

Mega Single Homecoming Garter Senior Coppell High School made by www.melzmumz.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mega Single Homecoming Garter Flower Mound High School made by www.melzmumz.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for looking and I hope you enjoyed!   As always, please feel free to leave me comments - I love to know what you think!!!

Melissa

 

all garters made by www.melzmumz.com

New to Homecoming Mums? What size? What to order? READ THIS!

So you're son or daughter comes home and says they need a homecoming mum or homecoming garter and you think "A WHAT??!!"  

 

Well hopefully I can help eleviate some of the confusion with this process and make it a little easier and FUN! 

 

First, if you have never heard of these - you might want to read Homecoming Mums - the tradition for a little info.  If you have a general idea of what these are then let's get going.

 

You need a Homecoming Mum or Garter:

This would be either from you (the parent) to your daughter/son or for your son/daughter to give to his/her date.  Or you are buying one for yourself!  Well here are a few tips:

 

Freshman Homecoming Mum:  If you are buying/making a homecoming mum for a Freshman, you need a Single Mum (meaning only 1 flower).   The flower can be any size you would like as long as it is only 1 flower.  For example I make a Basic Single Homecoming Mum, a Deluxe Single Homecoming Mum and a Super Single Deluxe Homecoming Mum. Any of these would be acceptable for a Freshman.  My most popular mum I sell for a Freshman is a Deluxe Single Homecoming Mum.  The mum needs to be in the school colors with a coordinating metallic color (silver or gold).  A little bit of an accent color is ok too (like zebra, cheetah, hot pink, etc.)

Sophomore Homecoming Mum:  If you are buying/making a homecoming mum for a Sophomore, you will need a Double Mum (meaning 2 flowers).  It is acceptable to have a Single Homecoming Mum instead (whichever you prefer) - the double is just tradition.  These are examples of a Basic Double Homecoming Mum and a Deluxe Double Homecoming Mum.  The mum should be made in the school colors with a coordinating metallic color (silver or gold).  If you want a little bit of accent color added, that's ok too (such as zebra, cheetah, hot pink, etc).  Once again the Deluxe Double Homecoming Mum is the most popular of the double mums I sell.

Junior Homecoming Mum:  If you are buying/making a homecoming mum for a Junior then tradition is a Triple Homecoming Mum (meaning 3 flowers).  I have 3 types of triples, Basic Triple Homecoming Mum, Deluxe Triple Homecoming Mum & MEGA Triple Homecoming Mum.  Another size some Juniors will go with is my Deluxe Super Single Homecoming Mum or  MEGA Super Single Homecoming Mum. With Juniors, you can do any size you want other than a quad.    

Senior Homecoming Mum:  If you are buying/making a homecoming mum for a Senior, then you can pretty much order whatever you want.  Tradition would be a Quad Homecoming Mum which is 4 flowers, however, my Mega Triple Homecoming Mums are the most popular for seniors (and are actually almost the same size as a quad!).  Mega Super Size Single Homecoming Mums are a great option as well.  Here are some examples of my Mega Quad Mums and Mega Triple Mums. Another fun way is to have a Triple Mum with a Single mum that goes over the Shoulder.  There are also Quints (yep 5 flowers) and beyond which these typically would be ordered only by a Senior.  For us the most popular ones we sell for seniors are a Deluxe Triple Homecoming Mum, MEGA Triple Homecoming Mum or a MEGA Quad Homecoming Mum with the Deluxe Super Single Homecoming Mums and MEGA Super Single Homecoming Mums coming in a close second.   Seniors will have all white with either silver or gold (depending on school's colors) and lately most seniors add an accent color or favorite color to it as well (like hot pink, turquoise or zebra, etc).  Think of the Senior Mum as being your biggest and best mum you have out of all your high school years.

Homecoming Garters ALL CLASSES: Homecoming garters are a little different.  The same theory applies (a freshman wouldn't have a double or triple garter) but most guys will opt for a single garter all the way through high school.  Our experience has been Freshmen and Sophomores getting a Basic Single Homecoming Garter or a  Deluxe Single Homecoming Garter with the Deluxe being the most popular.  Juniors usually opt for a MEGA Single Homecoming Garter since it is a little bigger and signifies the upper classman status.  Most Seniors will do a MEGA Single Homecoming Garter, however in the past few years the MEGA Double Homecoming Garter and MEGA Triple Homecoming Garter have gained popularity.  Last year we even made a MEGA Quad Homecoming Garter for a Senior in Houston! The colors work the same way with Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors keeping strictly to the school colors (little bit of accent color allowed) with seniors being either the silver and white or gold and white. 

 

So, now you know what size you want to get - but what do you want on it??  How much is enough stuff???   Contrary to popular believe, no one is going to become a social pariah if they don't have the biggest and best mum out there.  You do of course want something nice and this is where personal preference and budget will come into play.   First decide what you can spend and then decide what size and items are most important to you.  For budget if you are making your own mum or garter you should check our our Make Your Own Homecoming Mum Kits that come with tons of items and EVERYTHING you need to make something amazing but at a significant savings compared to the craft stores!

 

If you are buying a mum: 

1. FINDING A MUM MAKER: Try to find a place that doesn't nickel and dime you for every trinket, garland, etc.  Most mum makers that I personally know (myself included), have a set price that includes many many items and custom design with maybe some add larger options.  You tend to make out better this way because when they are making your mum they aren't using "only the trinkets/items you paid for" etc, instead it's all about the overall look and finished product.  If you google homecoming mums and the name of your school it will usually pull up local mum makers.  If there aren't any in your area, some do offer shipping.  MelzMumz.com offers shipping as well.
2. PUT THE NAMES ON THERE.   If it is a guy giving it to a girl, etc - put both of their names on it.   Personally I think it is neat to also put their nickname if they have one.
3. RIBBON COLORS.  Be sure to order the mum in the school colors EXCEPT SENIORS!   Seniors get white and silver or white and gold depending on the school.  Many seniors are opting for an accent color added as well (hot pink, turquoise, lime, purple, zebra, cheetah, etc).  It is ok to add a little bit of an accent color to Freshman, Sophomore, Junior mums as well.  Zebra and Cheetah are both extremely popular. 
4. GET A BOA.  Just do it.  The boas add so much for so little - they are fun and fluffy and well lets just face it - who doesn't love a boa???   
5. BELLS ARE A MUST! - you want it to jingle and make lots of noise!  
6. TRINKETS AND SUCH - and if you know a bit about the person wearing the mum - most mum makers will customize it to suit the person's individuality such as adding whatever sport they play or clubs they participate in.  This is where it can get creative.  You don't have to stick to just trinkets, you can add ornaments and just about anything you can think of.  Last year I had a MEGA Triple Mum done in a fifties "Grease" theme with cheetah, hot pink & black.  I hung fuzzy dice from the mum and had half of a vinyl album sticking out of the top!
7. SPECIALTY RIBBONS- such as printed, silk, all sorts of metallics.  These really make a big difference in the way a mum looks, especially holographics.   They add so much dimension to the mum.  At the very least, try to have at least 3 or 4 printed ribbons and a few metallic ribbons like honeycomb ribbon or ice crunch. To see examples of different types of ribbon you can go to my website www.melzmumz.com and click on extras examples - it will show you pics of most everything. 
8. BRAIDS AND LOOPS - they are just neat - but the best thing about them is they make the mum fuller!  I see so many mums out there without any braids, just a bunch of ribbon hanging down and they look so flat!  Put a braid on there - you'll be much happier with it.
9. LOOK AROUND - find pictures of mums you like.  Try not to get overwhelmed.  Most mum makers will work with you if you say "I like this but don't like these, etc" to come up with the perfect design.  And don't worry if you have no idea what you want - most professional mum makers know what they are doing and will create something amazing for you - be sure to look at pictures of mums they have made - it will give you a pretty good idea of what they can create! 

GET CREATIVE!!  There aren't too many things that are really "taboo" with the mum.  Have fun with them!   I pride myself on making my mums very custom to the person wearing it.  For example, one year I made a garter for a guy that loved hunting.  I found a deer head that I "mounted" in the middle of the flower and started a new trend! Or a mum for a girl that loved root beer so I made a little root bear bottle with the Barg's label on it for the bear to hold, for a girl who sings I made a microphone for the bear to hold, and for a guy who wanted Batman theme - I made a BatBear!  Hello Kitty, Fishing, any sports, activities, you name it!!  So have fun with it!  They will most likely have these keepsakes forever!

 

If you are going to make a mum: 

Being a mum maker myself, I have to say a few things here about the reality of this and it is not because I am trying to deter anyone from making one - it's only to be honest and real about it.  I want you to ENJOY the mum experience!   If you are not a crafty person per se - DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MAKE ONE - it isn't worth it!  You will end up mad, frustrated and definitely will not enjoy the mum experience.  These take many hours to make, so be prepared to devote the time. The quality of the turn out 100% depends on the time and focus you put into it.   Also, contrary to popular belief, it usually is not cheaper to make one.  Once you go buy all the supplies at the local craft store, many times you will spend more than if you purchased one.   I cannot tell you how many times I have been in a store and overheard a mom complaining that this is their 4th trip up to the store for more supplies and that they are now up to $150 - $200 into it. 

With that being said, if you are crafty and are wanting to make a mum or garter (which can be alot of fun!!) - you will of course need to get supplies.  MelzMumz.com actually offers complete Make Your Own Homecoming Mum kits with EVERYTHING you need to make an amazing mum or garter PLUS INSTRUCTIONS!  These are not rinky dink kits with bare bones basics - they are packed full of stuff!! Also our kits will save you lots of $$$ compared to the craft store prices!  See our price comparison here.  We also have for FREE printable step by step picture instructions with over 30 photos each for Single Homecoming Mums, Double Homecoming Mums, Triple Homecoming Mums and Homecoming Garters!  Click here and scroll to very bottom of page and you will see printable instructions.  Or if you want to shop you will need to go to a local craft store and buy the flowers, tons of ribbon (solid satin acetate) printed ribbon, metallic ribbons, garland, trinkets, backers, stuffed animal, bells, braids, glue, staples and any other accessories you would like.   It is best to go with a list so you know what to buy.  I have put together a Download Shopping List that lists all the necessary items to check off as you get them plus with a notes section to add anything special you are looking for.  This will help you get the necessary items to make a mum or garter and not forget anything.  Having all basics covered makes it easier to shop in the madness of the store (if you have shopped during homecoming season in the local craft stores - you know what I'm talking about!).  Also be prepared the stores usually run out of some of the supplies (usually flowers, bears or backers) so try to shop early if you can!

I have many tutorials here on my blog that can help walk you through the process of creating one and making braids.  And if you seem to get stumped along the way - message me!  I try to answer posts right away.  During mum season it can get a little hairy for me so sometimes it might take me a day or two but usually I try to answer right away!

Hope this helps provide some insight and guidance.  Good luck and enjoy your new Homecoming Mum experience!

 

Melissa

www.melzmumz.com

Homecoming Mums - the Tradition

The Homecoming Mum tradition is a very old tradition that has evolved greatly over the years.  What started out as a simple real flower (chrysanthemum) with some ribbons is now a silk flower with ribbons and almost anything you can imagine added to them.

There are many traditions that have stayed the same for many many years now.  Of course new trends always pop up, but some things remain the same.

In the past Homecoming Mums were given from a boy to a girl that he is taking to the Homecoming Dance.  The bigger the mum the more "loved" you were.  This is not necessarily the case anymore. 

Today, Homecoming mums are still exchanged with the boy getting his date a Homecoming Mum and the girl gets her date a smaller version the boy wears on the arm called a Homecoming Garter.  But due to the changing times, may teenagers now prefer to go to Homecoming with friends or in groups eliminating the need for a "date".  In this instance,  parents usually buy homecoming mums for their daughters or girls will buy them for themselves or their friends!  The little sis mum has become a fun tradition for high school girls to get one for their little sister who might be in middle school or elementary as a way for them to be including in on all the fun.

Homecoming Mums are worn on game day (which is usually Friday) at school all day.  As you can imagine on Homecoming day, the High School halls are filled with sounds of bells, ribbon rustling and all sorts of noise makers.   Then you wear your mum to the Homecoming Football game that night as well.   Most schools do not wear their mums to the Dance, only to school and game.

Then you have the sizes, oh my the sizes.   The tradition is that Freshmen have a single mum, Sophomores have a double mum, and Juniors have a triple mum made in the school colors.   Seniors will have all sorts of sizes (Quads and Triples being most common) or even large single mums.  The senior mums are usually all white and either gold or silver depending on the school colors.  Over the past few years, many seniors elect to add an "accent" color of their choice such as hot pink or purple.  These are the traditional guidelines, but not a set in stone rule.   The only true faux pas would be getting an underclassman too big of a mum (such as a freshman wearing a triple, etc).

The Homecoming Mum has become a fun way to show your school spirit and your individuality.  On the mum themselves, you can add most anything you want!  Most people keep their mums forever.  Many hang them on their bedroom walls and cherish them for many years to come!

 

Hope you enjoyed reading this!

Melissa

www.melzmumz.com

 

 

 

Triple Homecoming Mum Pictures Fall 2012 season

FINALLY!!!   I am here!! 

 

Sorry it has taken so long, but me and my craft room just had to take a break!  But I have finally edited some of my photos from this year and will start posting them. 

There is no rhyme or reason to my madness....so....... there I am starting with triples and then will decide what to post next!

 

Senior Triple Homecoming Mum Alvin High School made by melzmumz.com

 

This was one of my favorites!  I actually had alot of favorites this year.  This is a Senior Triple Homecoming Mum for Alvin High School.  The accent colors used were hot pink and orange.  It made me want sherbert the whole time I was making it! 

 

made by melzmumz.com

Alexis is a photographer so I found this camera that had a button on top that when you pressed it - the led light on it lit up and it made the shutter noises! 

 

 

Senior Triple Homecoming Mum Alvin High School made by melzmumz.com

I added lights to these and I have to say - this year I got my paws on some unbelievable lights and already am stocking them for next year too - but they are strands of 30!!! yes 30 led lights and will blink or stay solid but the brightness - it's crazy!   Here is a picture with the lights on (had to turn flash off camera or the lights were too bright!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also this was done as a matching set!  Although I will post more pics of garters later I just had to show these together!

 

Senior Triple Homecoming Mum with Matching Garter made by melzmumz.com

 

 

 

 

Onto the next!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Senior Triple Homecoming Mum Kennedale High School made by melzmumz.com

 

 

 

 

This is a Senior Triple Homecoming Mum for Kennedale High School.   Darby wasn't a big fan of the bears so my helpful husband found an awesome wooden letter K for Kennedale that we painted and glittered and turned out perfect! 

 

Senior Triple Homecoming Mum with Lights made by melzmumz.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a picture with the lights on - you can see the K better.  But let me show you a pic of the top without lights on.  I made their initials at the top with a heart in between!

 

Triple Homecoming Mum Kennedale High School made by melzmumz.com

 

Senior Triple Homecoming Mum Marcus High School made by melzmumz.com

 

This is a senior triple homecoming mum for Marcus High School.  I made the little graduation caps for the bears!

 

And of course I had to do the custom lettering!  I just love making those letters they stand out on the mums and make them so unique.  I looooooooove my cricut machine!!

 

Senior Triple Homecoming Mum Marcus High School made by melzmumz.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was a fun color combination.  It was for a Junior at Southlake Carroll High School which are the Dragons. 

Junior Triple Homecoming Mum Southlake Carroll High School made by melzmumz.com

Triple Homecoming Mum made by melzmumz.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 So I just had to stick a dragon on there!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Now this is my favorite triple this year - and for one of my favorite couples!  Taylor and Madi are both just amazing - so I wanted to make sure her mum suited her!  I can't wait to make her mum next year!!!

           

Junior Triple Homecoming Mum Colleyville Heritage High School made by melzmumz.com

Junior Triple Homecoming Mum Colleyville Heritage High School made by melzmumz.com

Here is a close up of the top.  We did a princess bear and a boy bear and of course had to have the lights!

Put Black and White Cheetah accent ribbon on here too!

That is a big silver glass heart in the middle of the bears with a big bow on it.

 

Junior Triple Homecoming Mum Colleyville Heritage High School made by melzmumz.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the last triple I am going to post! 

 



Junior Triple Homecoming Mum Trinity High School made by melzmumz.com

This one was super decked out - they wanted lights hanging down the mum.  So after I tried several things, I was holding a boa and the lights got wound around it by accident but IT WORKED!!  Loved it and thought it turned out so cool! 

 

 

 Here is a close up of the top - lots of zebra on there too!!

Junior Triple Homecoming Mum Trinity High School made by melzmumz.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 This is the body of the mum but I like this picture because it shows how awesome those boas looked with the lights!

Junior Triple Homecoming Mum Trinity High School made by melzmumz.com

Hope you have enjoyed looking at these! 

 If you did - leave me a comment I love to hear what people think! 

Or like my post on facebook or google plus!  

I make all of these mums personally and all braids etc are made by hand by me.  My mum business is www.melzmumz.com

 

Thank you and stay tuned I will be posting lots more!

Melissa

 

TV Appearance!

I was on tv!!!   Laura Thornquist from MyDallasMommy.com asked me to join her on WFAA channel 8 daybreak yesterday to show my mums!!!   If you want to see the video, here is the link.  :-)

 

http://www.wfaa.com/video/featured-videos/Homecoming-mum-explainer-171167051.html

Wrist Mums and Finger Mums!

NOW AVAILABLE!  Printable step by step picture tutorials for both the Finger Mum and Wrist Mum!  Super detailed with tons of pictures! Purchase them on the right side bar and they will be emailed to you!!

 

This trend is starting to really take off!!

 

Wrist mums and Finger Mums are another spirit items students are wearing, but not only the students, the moms and little sisters are getting in on the action too!! 

 

The mum flower on the finger mums is a 2" 9 layer flower and I used triple ribbon backing.  It comes with the year and school on the ribbons.  I use stretchy sequins for the band so it makes it more comfortable and pretty!!

 

 

The wrist mums are a bit smaller than the pee wee mums, but just the right size for your arm!

 

These too have the stretchy sequins as the backing and are really pretty on!   They use a 4" flower and get the year and 1 name on them.  I manage to sneak in some trinkets and of course had to add a braid with a bell and a bow!

 

 

 

Here is a picture of the back of them so you can see the stretchy sequins.   The wrist one has the band sideways so the mum hangs off the side of  your wrist and not down the back of your arm (which just felt funny to me).

 

 

I haven't had a chance to put these on my website www.melzmumz.com but am hoping to have that done by this weekend.

 

Hope you enjoyed!  Thank you for looking!

Melissa

 

www.melzmumz.com

Wrist Corsages for Softball Banquet

This was a first for me!   In May I was given a wonderful opportunity by a mom at Marcus High School to make wrist corsages for their softball banquet.  (THANK YOU CRISTA!)   At first I was unsure about being able to make them but then they turned out pretty awesome and I enjoyed every minute of it!

 

 

So the first objective was to find a way to differentiate between Junior Varsity, Varsity and the Seniors on the Varsity team. 

 

 Here you will see the slight variations.  I found these really pretty open faced roses and used red flowers for JV and white flowers for Varsity and Seniors.  Also for JV we used red and black ribbon, Varsity we used red, black and white ribbon, and Senior Varsity was red and white only.

 

 

 

 

 Behind the flower I used a tuft of tulle and added a feather and these little jewels things.    I felt the flower needed more color themselves so I used that to help differentiate.  I put white rosettes in the JV red flowers, black rosettes in the Varsity White Flowers and red rosettes in the Senior Varsity white flowers.

 

     One challenge we ran into was making the softballs.   Unfortunately there are not many items made for softball, only baseball.  However the softballs are neon yellow. 

 

So my mom and I found these wooden discs that were perfect size.  Enlisting the help of my husband who patiently painted each one with a white base and then with the neon yellow, they finally started to come together. 

 

The stitching was more difficult but I had to do it by hand with red acrylic paint.

 

To give them a nice finish I used crystal accents on the top which made them nice and shiny.   I was really happy with the way they turned out!!

 

We put the year on there and also each player's number. 

This is what they look like on and below is a side view so you could see the band - I used stretchy sequins to finish them up!!

 

Hope you enjoyed!   Thank you for looking!

Melissa

made by www.melzmumz.com

Boys Baby Mum

My first baby mum!!!

 

The special occasion?? I AM NOW AN AUNT!!!   My brother and sister-in-law just had their first child this week and for the shower and their hospital door, I was entrusted to make the mum!                                                                                   

 

 

Well of course - you know me - mediocre would NEVER due, not for my nephew!!  So I wanted to make it the prettiest mum that hospital had ever seen.  Do you think I accomplished that? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 So as you can see this mum was a little tricky.   I knew I wanted a monkey in the middle (his room was done in a monkey theme) but I didn't want the stuffed animal to be decoration - I wanted my nephew to be able to play with it.  

 

Trying to think of a creative way to do this, I thought what about an open heart where the monkey could be removable without damaging the mum!

 

 

 

 

 

 

What I did was create a custom backer with the middle cut out (very carefully).  I measured how many flowers I wanted and spaced apart evenly on the backer board marking a little x where the flower should go.  

 

 

 

 

 

Punched holes on the x marks and stuck the flowers in, but before I put the flowers in at the top, I made a little loop out of ribbon and attached it at the very top to hang down towards the middle of the mum.

 

To make the monkey removable, I used a hanging tag hook attached to top of monkey and hung him from that ribbon loop I made.  Then I pushed him back into the middle so he was sitting, but if you pulled on him a little bit you would see he was hanging there and could unhook him from the ribbon loop so that my newphew would have his first monkey stuffed animal there at the hospital!!  BUT I wanted the mum to still look complete once the monkey was taken out!!   What do you think???

 

 Thanks for looking, hope you enjoyed it!    Happy Crafting!

Melissa

made by www.melzmumz.com

 

A black and gold Deluxe Double Mum!

 This will be a quick post - just wanted to post a pic of a Deluxe Double mum I made.  This is for The Colony High School black and gold - first one I have done in these colors!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Didn't the tutu for the bear turn out cute!!!

 

 

 

Made by www.MelzMumz.com  

Triple Homecoming Mums - yep, more! :-)

So I must admit, after mum season ended last October, I was a little sad because it was going to be a whole year before I got to make them again BUT I was surprised with two more Private School orders for February Homecomings! YEAH!! It was like a late Christmas present - seriously, I just love making these things.

 

This one was for a Junior and she loves Zebra - so I added alot of Zebra accents.  This is the first dress I made for a bear - what do you think??    Since she loved Zebra, for the memory book I covered it with a zebra felt.  Also it is hard to see but I got some of those hand clappers and attached black lace to it for an extra noise maker!  The girl who wore this made Homecoming Queen this year!!

 

 

 Here are a few more close ups:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just LOVE how it turned out!

 

 

Here is another one I did, but this one was for a senior.   She loves all things western so I decided to make a "cowgirl" bear for the middle. 

Also for the box braid, I made three braids and looped them together for a lasso type look - oh you can see the hand clapper in the middle of this one real well! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And on this one - for the bear - I made a fringe vest.  I also made a lasso that the bear is holding and painted it silver - so much easier than I thought it would be!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since I was trying to make it look western, I used a different font for the Senior 2012 letters.  The font I used has a more "wooden fence" type western look - not sure if you can tell in the photos but here is a closer look at the font and also a closer look at the lasso in the second picture below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tell me what you think!!!  Thanks so much for looking and I hope you enjoyed them!

Melissa

 Made by www.MelzMumz.com

QUAD Mega Homecoming Mums! Oh My!

And here they are!  These are some of the Flower Mound Quads I made this year.  These things were too big to work with on my work table so I had to assemble them on the floor!!

This is the mack daddy of mums!   She had lights, she had silver lame mums, she had every braid you could think of!  It was so pretty!  I wish you could see the letters across the top better - they were huge and spelled out her name.  This thing was AWESOME!  I custom made name garland for all my quads and triples and on my quads I also hung custom initial charms from the bears.  You can kind of see them on the bottom left picture hanging from the star wand the bear is holding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are two of the girls wearing two of the quads I made!  Don't they look awesome (both the girls and the mums)!  Both of these seniors wanted the hot pink accents added to their Silver and White.  Hayley's mum on the left was the normal HUGE size of the QUAD.  Sandy's Quad pictured here far right was a scaled down QUAD (she didn't want it too over the top) but you can see how big it still was!

 

 

 

Now here is my beautiful quad with the turquoise accents made for Miss Laura this year.  This was Laura's senior year so this was the super sonic mega mum!  I am going to miss making Laura's mums!  She just might have to get them while she is in college too :-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We did the lights on hers too with the flapper style headband going across the bear.  The turquoise accent turned out really pretty and I dyed the butterflies on the top to match!    We made a matching garter to this for her date - here is a picture of both of them at school!

 

 

Here is a close up of the top of the mum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now before you think I am crazy (and that may be too late!)  I do name all of my mums :-)  I name them for the girl it is made for - it serves two purposes.  1.  It makes me feel like it is ultra personalized - each mum is made JUST FOR THAT GIRL!!  2.  It helps make my 4 year old son respect the mum to not touch it - if he knows that this is "Miss Hayley's mum"  or "Miss Sandy's Mum) - he won't mess with them because he knows it belongs to someone else!

 

 

Speaking of Miss Sandy's Mum - here is her beautiful QUAD 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We used the Silver and White Lame Flowers on Sandy's mum and I also dyed the butterflies hot pink at the top.   She liked the glassine acrylic flowers so the bear is holding some of those with her custom made acrylic initials hanging from them.

 

 I do have to note here - all of my mums and garters - ALL OF THEM - you can tell from the  pictures that they have tons of stuff on them - but I want people to know this is not all on the surface!  These things are stacked!  You can dig and dig through them and find more stuff - they are super thick!

 

 

  

 

 

Unfortunately I was unable to take pictures of some of my triples - but I did get to have a picture of this awesome couple that I made the triple mega senior mum with lights for and the matching band hat senior garter that was in my previous post!!  Seeing people smile this big is what makes me LOVE making these!!!

If you have any questions please email me!  I love to help!  Have a wonderful day and thank you for looking!

  Melissa

 Made by www.MelzMumz.com

 

2011 Homecoming Single, Double and Super Size Single Mums!!

 

Loooooong title - I know - but I was trying to group together a few pics of some of the Deluxe Single, Deluxe Double and Super Size Single Mega Mums from this season.   BTW - for those who don't know what the super size single mega mum is - well I use BEATIFUL 7.5" 21 Layer Flowers for my mums (most people only use 6.5" or 15 layer and believe me there IS a difference) - but the super size single mega mum is a 9.5" flower!!  HUGE!!!   So it a ginormous single mum that is ideal for ANY class (Fresh, Soph, Junior, Senior)   - since I love them so much let's start with those!

 

This first one will always be one of my favorite mums ever - the pictures just do NOT do it justice.  This is a FMHS (Flower Mound) Sophomore Super Size Single Mega Mum.  The mom brought me the jaguar to use and it was so stinkin cute!!  the girl played soccer so that was added to the top along with her name.

 

 

TONS of Gems and Pearls - a butterfly at the end of her name and a glassine flower to complete the bow.

 

 

 

 

For the body of the mum - well I don't know that I can even start to list everything I put on these things!  Of course there is the Homecoming Loop and a Name Loop along with a Whip braid, a Victory Braid, a Military Braid and a Box Braid.  I am pretty sure there was a Texas Champion braid on there too but I can't see it in the picture.  All my super size singles, triples and quads automatically come with a boa, a memory book, bubbles and a treat bag.  Bells and trinkets out the wazoo!!  So funny how in these pictures you can't really tell how big these are but they are just WOW!  I did make custom name garland for these larger mums this year that turned out so cool  - I'll have to get a close up picture of it!

 

 

 

SENIOR SUPER SIZE SINGLE MUM!!!   See how beautiful these turn out for seniors  too!  This was made for a Senior at Flower Mound High School - look at the feather flapper style headband on this bear - didn't it turn out CUTE!  Lots of pearl accents and a Gemstone drop from hanging from the bow - this one looked so elegant!

 

Here is a picture of the whole mum and a close up of the body of the mum - can you see the Senior 2012 custom lettering under the bear? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Another SUPER SIZE SINGLE MEGA MUM here!  This one was made for a Senior at North Hills Prep!  This one had custom cut lettering across the top with a couple of fleur de lis.  Also added some lovely silver silk flowers to the top as well.  The looped military braid on the right has a acrylic crystal ornament hanging from the middle of it that turned out really cool!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is an awesome Deluxe Double Mum made for a sophomore at Marcus High School.  They added a memory book, boa, two tone flower and custom cut lettering to it - it turned out so pretty!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This one is a FMHS (Flower Mound) Sophomore Deluxe Single mum with the extras package!  I finally had to stop adding stuff to it because there was nowhere to PUT  IT!  I think that is my biggest issue with making these - I try to put everything AND the kitchen sink on these and have to stop or the poor girls won't be able to walk!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One more I wanted to put on here!  This is a Deluxe Single Mum that added a boa.  It was made for a Freshman at Marcus High School.  For this one I made a custom Large Letter "M" for the School Logo, and hand painted it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Made by www.MelzMumz.com

2011 Homecoming Garters !!

It's been a while!  Finally now that I am past mum season and past all the holidays, I can now start putting my uploads back on my blog!  Right now I am starting to get ready for the 2012 Homecoming Mum and Garter season and have actually had some mum orders here in January and for February Homecomings!  But first - I wanted to share a few photos of some of the latest creations - unfortunately I was so busy I wasn't able to take photos of all my mums and garters from this season but I will try to do better this year!  So this is going to be a few posts - first let's start with the Garters!

 

Honestly I have to say I truely love all my mums and garters.   I put so much time and attention to detail into making these as amazing as possible.  I just don't do mediocre!  (Type A personality - I know)  But with that said, I do still have my favorites and this is one of them. 

 

 

 

This Flower Mound senior garter was done as a match to a triple mum and they wanted the bear to have a marching band hat.  I made this one out of plastic and painted it white then covered it in white felt and did a silver cord trim detail - added the little "bib" to the front of the hat and stuck a feather in the top.  I was so happy with the outcome!!  Here is a picture of the whole thing:

 

This next one is one of my other favorites from this last year.   I made custom lettering for most of my mums and garters this year - but this one turned out so cute with the boa around the top and the senior 2012!  This one was a Senior Flower Mound garter as well.

Both the girl this was from and the guy this was to played soccer - so in addition to the jerseys with their names and numbers on them I accented with a lot of soccer stuff too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now this  - well this monster of a garter is a double garter for a senior at Flower Mound!   And it was just WOW - huge and had so much stuff on it!!   The picture isn't very good of the whole thing but it did take a good close up picture of the top!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These next few were Flower Mound High School Junior Garters

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really need to take a picture of them wearing these so you can see how big they are - they really are MEGA garters!

 

 

Another Senior Garter here - baseball themed!

 

This is a senior garter that was made to match a QUAD MEGA Mum I made - it has a tiny bit of turquoise added to it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OH WAIT!!!  I DO HAVE A PICTURE OF THEM WEARING IT!  This is a picture of one of the QUAD Mega Mums I made with the matching garter being worn by both the guy and girl!!

 

 Made by www.MelzMumz.com

Homecoming Mums - That time of year again!!

Mums and  Garters 2011

 

So as you may know, I make Homecoming Mums and have just launched my mum website called www.melzmumz.com.  School will be starting soon so Homecoming will be here before we know it! 

 

For my site I needed to make some displays which I thought I would upload here to my blog as well.  Currently I am working on my tutorials on how to make Homecoming Mums (which I have to give HUGE PROPS to you ladies who do video tutorials - I never knew they could be this hard!!)  But I should have some started to be uploaded in the next couple of weeks!

 

Without further a do, here are some of the ones I have been working on lately:

This is a senior Triple Mum.   I got these little tiaras this year which I thought were perfect for the bears!  They did however have pink and green in the top of  it so I had to paint it with my silver paint pen and then stuck some rhinestones in it to make it shine.  Also new this year I thought I would add something different - mini memory books with a monogrammed initial!  I thought - what better way to remember homecoming day than to have it on your mum where friends can write little notes or sign where you will have it forever!!

 

This is a decked out mum so it has bubbles, treat bag, 5 different braids (tutorials will be along soon I promise!!)  feather boa and of course makes TONS of noise!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here you see a SUPER SIZE SINGLE MEGA MUM for Flower Mound High School.  This is new this year - hard to tell from picture but this mum is 9.5" flower so with the ribbon backing it is almost as big as the Triple!   I custom make my letters for the top with my cricut machine and paint them with silver paint and glitter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a look at the whole thing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marcus Highschool Double Mum

 

I custom made the Marcus "M" out of shrinking plastic - cut with my cricut, colored with copics, red foil, and black stickles!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lewisville High School Single Mum.  I've gotten really good with the box braids that you see running down the left hand side of the mum.  Also at the top to give it more color, I used burgandy tulle and tufted it around in the white mum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flower Mound High School Single Deluxe Mum with bow instead of bear.  Was trying to do something a little different for girls who didn't want a bear.   It is hard to see but there are little crystal "jewels" hanging from middle of bow and standing up around the edge. - I will post a closer look below.  This has a box braid, military braid, spirit braid and curly cue braid along with a maribou boa.

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

 

Here is a closer look at the detail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here are a couple of garters for the guys!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

This one is either for Marcus or Colleyville High School.  It is the 4.5" flower with 12" streamers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a super deluxe garter for a senior.  This is bigger than the one above.  It is made with a 5.5" flower and has 18" streamers.  Yep, the guys get to be just as loud and obnoxious as the girls on this day!!  It was always so much fun!!

 

That is a victory braid you see running down the left side. (Tutorial soon I promise!!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, there you have it!  I will continue to post them as I make them, but am really focused on trying to complete my tutorials right now.  The tutorials will be posted to this blog and have their own link.  If you want to see more pictures of mums you can always visit my website www.melzmumz.com

 

Thanks for looking!! I hope you enjoy them!!!  Hope you have a wonderful day!

Melissa

Made by www.MelzMumz.com

Pee Wee Homecoming Mums!

These are PeeWee Mums inspired by a friend of mine!

So, as you may know I have been making homecoming mums the past couple of years for some girls at a local high school here.  Recently a friend of mine enlightened me to pee wee mums.  Her daughter is a cheerleader for a pee wee football team and they have a homecoming too!!  So I thought I would go ahead and start making these too!

 

 

 

So being "pee wee" mums, these mums are the same size top as some of the garters I have made before.   I use a #9 size ribbon and #3 size ribbon to make the loops around the mum at the top.  They are a much much scaled down version of the large ones, but still have all the fun!

 

These were done in Texas Longhorn colors and I promise, I've got my husband working on helping me with a couple of video tutorials on how I make my braids and put these things together that I am hoping to have done in the next month or so.

 

 

On this pee wee there is a military braid, 4 bells, multiple trinkets, some rhinestones (because has to have the bling!) tons of solid ribbon, a strand of foil honeycomb ribbon in the burnt orange color and also printed ribbons with the Longhorn on it and footballs on another.  I love using the silver star garland it hangs so nicely along with the printed satin football ribbon.   

 

 

I am planning on selling these for $19.99 each as shown with everything in the description included in the price and assembled.  We are currently working on my homecoming mum site that will hopefully be up and going in the next month as well.  But in the meantime if people are interested they can send me an email from this blog and I'd be more than happy to help! 

 

Here is another one I made in the same colors.

 

 

 

The main difference with this one is the braid.  The other one had a military braid.  For this one I made a champion braid (some people call it a Texas braid) and added some rhinestones down the middle.  Instead of this mum having the printed satin ribbon that said Football, I used two orange/silver printed football ribbons.  Other than that they have the same amount of stuff, just different trinkets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the top and once again I had to add some rhinestones to it for a little extra shine (just because they are mini versions of the big ones doesn't mean they can't shine like the big ones!)

 

I just love making these things!!

 

Hope you like them and please feel free to leave any comments or email me with any questions!

 

 

 

 

Have a wonderful day and thanks for looking!!

Melissa

 Made by www.MelzMumz.com

 

 

Homecoming Mums

What the HECK is that???????

Sorry I have been so radio silent for a little while but I have been working on these for the main part of the past month.  For those of you who have grown up in Texas and Oklahoma, no explanation is needed - you know what these are!  Outside of that, if you are wondering what these are, they are Homecoming Mums!  This is what our highschool girls wear every year for homecoming and the bigger the better!  I also have pictured the garters (miniature mums worn on the arm) that the guys wear.  There are a lot of pics here so bear with me.  I make all of mine from scratch completely and make all of my own braids (something I am VERY proud of!) and I load these puppies up with EVERYTHING!  They are super custom tailored to each girl/guy and I try to make each one unique in their own way.  Hope you enjoy!!!

 

 

This one I made for a girl named Laura.  The bear has blue flowers on it at the top.  This has probably about 6 braids on it with all kinds of other custom stuff I make.

 

 

This is a close up of the top of the mum - one of the prettiest I have done!  I added white feathers around the top and white pearls.  The blue flowers were stems that I pulled the flower part off of and to make them sparkly I added silver glitter glue to them.  Next you will see some of the main part of the mum a little more close up. 

This next one is a matching Senior Mum and Garter.  The senior mums are silver and white and sometimes can contain a "special" color that they guy or girl chooses.  On these the guy requested Fleur De Lis on them (which is what the bears       are holding).  The mum had a really pretty feather boa on the right side of it that was white with silver mixed in.
Buch of pictures here.  This is the matching garter for the guy close up.  The ribbon around the top of each one matched and I used some of the matching braids on them.

 

The top of this mum turned out beautifully.  I add all kinds of silver flowers and found this crystal looking stuff to stick all around in it.  I tied a bow to the bear, painted the Fleur De Lis with silver acrylic paint with glitter and glued it to the bear.  

These all have tons of bells and whistles (literally) tied to them so they make a TON of noise while you are walking around.  And yes, they wear them to school ALL DAY LONG and drive the teachers CRAZY!
  

This one is a senior garter.  The boy and girl both played tennis so you can see I added a small tennis ball to it.  

You can see here in this picture a little more clearly some of the "extras" and some of the pretty braids.

The next one is a senior mum that the girl picked purple to add to it (her favorite color).

And just to give you an idea of how big these things are I've added a few picks of the girls wearing them.  Now some of the girls wear them around their necks and some wear them pinned to their jackets.

 

Look at these!  Isn't it wild!  Feather Boas and all!  I also use rhinestones to make "paw prints" on them.  For the purple star I used a wooden star and painted it with purple acrylic paint mixed with some glitter and glued purple rhinestones to it!

This one is my step-daughter Paige who loves Zebras.  So I ordered a Zebra online and stuck him in the middle of it.  This was her first Mum experience!

 

 

This is a close up of the top of her mum with the zebra - isn't it cute!

Made by www.MelzMumz.com