Katy Mum Designers Talk Evolution of this Great Homecoming Tradition
KATY MAGAZINE NEWS
September 29, 2026
By Natalie Cook Clark
Along with football season comes the days where Katy newcomers are baffled by our Texas-sized mums. It may be strange to newcomers learning the tradition, but the ribbons and bells have become as symbolic of the homecoming festivities as football.
Mums Grow in Size and Creativity
Homecoming season is in full swing! This is a time of tradition and celebration amongst the ten Katy ISD high schools; the students, staff, and alumni. Perhaps one of the most recognizable symbols of the festivities are the mums and garters. These large collections of ribbons and trinkets can often times be a shock to Katy newcomers.
“I usually open my orders up in June/July and really push to have people place the orders early. I feel like this year more people placed their orders early, which really helps me,” says Mum designer Sterling Greene. “With that being said, people usually order 2-4 weeks before their homecoming. I think they wait to place their orders to see if their son or daughter gets asked to homecoming and I totally understand, because some Homecomings are so early. I still really encourage ordering early and I can always add the dates name to the mum/garter.”
Greene started making mums as a business for five years and has watched the students desire to wear a mum and garter grow.
"You will see and hear people complain about how big and crazy these mums have gotten and they aren’t wrong, but students are learning they can really show their personalities and who they are through their mums," says Greene. "And that brings me so much joy seeing how proud they are of showing off their creative and beautiful personalities."
Girls wear mums and boys wear garters (though this has seen some changes lately) to school the Friday of their school’s Homecoming and then also to the football game that night.
The tradition dates back to the very first homecoming held at Katy High School when a mum was a simple flower to now when mums and garters are made of silk flowers and have evolved into a spectacle of trinkets and bling.
“I am blown away by how big some of these mums can get, but I think kids really love to stand out in this creative way,” says Greene. “Newcomers are always asking questions about etiquette.”
“it is a passion for some of the students to find a MUM artist to make their vision come to life so all the time we can get to design is well taken advantage. I use that time also to source materials for their mums. This year I had lace from France and lace from India ordered just to achieve the students request,” says mum designer Jen Moody. “The biggest mum is a heart shape mum. I leave the larger mums to other experts in the field.”
Mum customization has only increased over the years. Moody says that the craziest she’s completed was a customed mum that paid homage to Elphaba from Wicked. She’s also done Disney characters and even customizes ribbons to combine the favorite characters of the dates and Monster High.
"The Texas is probably the biggest and most complicated. It was about 20” wide, which means the skirt of the mum is wide and lots of ribbons and braids are needed to fill up that space," explains Greene.
Mum costs can vary based on what the student wants.
“If you're a do-it-yourself person, the supplies alone can cost $100 to $200,” says Moody. “But if you get one professionally made, a simple one can start around $90, while the average custom mum might be $150 to $350. For those over-the-top, massive ones, you could be looking at $500 or more.
"I have seen mums go for $1200 dollars, those packages sometime include a professional photo session with the mum and the student. That package is usually reserved for Seniors. For the boys, garters are usually a little less, starting around $50. adds Moody.”
Mum, Garter Rules to Know
While mums and garter designs continue to get bigger and more intricate, there are certain rules that remain.
Freshman and Sophomores are decorated with school colors
Juniors are decorated in silver and white
Seniors are decorated in gold and white, though some senior ladies have opted for rose gold as a trend lately
Colors can be mixed to indicate the grade level of a date
School colors are mixed when dates attend other schools
Girls may wear two mums if one represents a performance group like dance team.
But students have moved from these traditions this year.
“Things have changed,” says Moody. “These days, students mix in whatever colors or themes they want to express their own style. You'll see everything from Hot pink to cheetah print alongside the school colors. It's all about making it unique.
Katy ISD Homecoming is ongoing.
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