Please sign in as a member or guest below to access it.
A Look Inside Texas’ Mum-Making Industry
Take a peek past the glitter and ribbons into a multimillion-dollar industry.
The stars at night are big and bright deep in the heart of Texas.
And so are the homecoming mums.
Intricately personalized and ever expanding, many mums are works of art in their own rights, with recipients cherishing them for years to come. They might be worn for a single day, but creating homecoming mums is anything but a one-day business.
For some Texas mum-makers, the craft has evolved into a year-round operation with sizable inventory, preseason consultations, and lengthy waitlists.
Entrepreneurs like Sabrina Rosser and Rayanne Good, of RG Mums, and Kisha Clark, of DK Florals Inc., know well the dedication, sacrifice, and artistry needed to run an in-demand mum-making business that serves hundreds of Texans each year.
From Keepers of Tradition to Titans of Industry
In Texas, mum-making has evolved from a crafty side project into a multimillion-dollar industry. Clark entered the business in 2002, launching DK Florals Inc. as a creative counterpoint to her career in information technology. A decade later, she founded Mums Inc., helping build a community where mum-makers could learn from one another — and professionalize their budding businesses.
“There is a lot of preparation and craft [in mum-making],” Clark says. “There’s an entire community and understanding behind this business that Texans actually rely on.”
Clark recalls homecomings during the height of COVID-19 when some areas invested in mums to hang on to tradition and normalcy during an uncertain time. “It was all they had, and they wanted their kids to have some sort of normality,” Clark says.
Mums Inc. opens membership applications for a roughly 60-day period each year, starting in November. New members must meet certain requirements, including holding a state tax ID and having completed at least two homecoming seasons. Membership helps elevate mum-making small businesses through business education, discounts/group buys, and visibility through the specialty Find-A-Mum database.
Rosser and Good point to the real-world impact a Mums Inc. membership can have. Not only have they grown RG Mums from what they’ve learned as members, they have also gained an expansive professional community.
“You can’t do it alone,” Good says, reiterating the Mums Inc. slogan of “better together.” “You can’t get to the point of … making money at [mum-making] unless you have a support system … within the industry.”
Sometimes, that support comes in the form of lending ribbon, trinkets, or cutouts. Other times, it’s helping fellow mum-makers make their deliveries.
Behind the Ribbons and Glitter
The heart of mum season typically runs for about 10 weeks throughout the fall, but preparation is a year-round venture.
“No mum-maker goes without making sacrifices,” Clark says. “From the minute that the first two weeks of school begins to probably the first two weeks of November, your life is not really your own.”
During the “off” season, Rosser and Good take inventory, restock supplies, evaluate burgeoning trends, and start planning for the season ahead. Some senior mum orders start as early as February. They also pre-build partially assembled mums, giving them a large base to work from during peak mum season.
This meticulous forethought and preparation help them plan for life’s expected, and unexpected, events. During the height of one mum season, Rosser’s daughter’s 90-pound Bernedoodle got sprayed by a skunk — at midnight, while there were still dozens of mums to finish.
“Life happens during mum season,” Rosser says. “And we’ve adjusted.”
A mum-maker’s work is a milestone in the lives of many Texas students.
“[Mums] represent a time frame in a person’s life,” Clark says. “In your teenage years, you’re trying to figure out who you are and where you’re headed. Mums give you an opportunity to display that as much as you know up to that point.”
Before they were a big, bright generation-spanning Texas tradition, homecoming mums were a basic chrysanthemum corsage. Explore Texas homecoming mums’ origin story.
More Good Reads
Kids’ Guide to Spotting Texas Wildlife
Can your kids identify these native Texas creatures?
Explore the 4 National Forests in Texas
Experience the restorative beauty of our natural world.
Take two steps into the past, two steps forward on the dance floor. The best nightlife in Texas is also the oldest.
Popping Open an American Tradition: A Journey Through the History of Tailgating
Tailgating’s surprising origins date back to the Civil War. Today, a less macabre tradition sustains school camaraderie and has become as central to an American pastime as goalposts and cheerleaders.
10 Ways to Spend Valentine’s Day In Texas
For couples and singles alike.
It’s prime time to play outside.