When I moved from the west coast to Texas, I couldn't help but notice the giant ribbons people wore at the homecoming football games. Why??? Texas sized school pride!

They're very cumbersome, heavy, cost a fortune, and if you don't have one, you're treated as though you have the bubonic plague.

They've been a tradition in Texas for a long time. A relative told me she used to wear a fresh mum with ribbons back in the late 50s.

In this instructable, I hope to encourage west coasters to try this. When someone asks you what the heck you're wearing, say, "Dude....duh! It's a homecoming ribbon!" (Seriously, don't say 'dude' in Texas though.)

Step 1: Supplies

You need oodles of ribbon. 10 in one color, and 10 in a second color. A bare minimum length is about 24 inches; my ribbons are 3' feet in length. (These should be 1 1/2 to 2" wide)

You need 2 cardboard circles, 6"inches in diameter.

3' feet lengths of either silver, gold, or white, cord, or thin ribbon, depending on which color accents your school. You need at least 5 lengths of the medium width ribbon (1/2" inch wide)

Get another couple of spools that can accent...there's no such thing as too much glitz, or glam here! I've used silver & green Christmas garland.

2 large latching pins for the back, or 2 large safety pins

Glue gun and sticks

Stickers...not just any though. You need sparkle, shine, and flash. Get letters to spell out the following: Name of School, name of the player you're cheering for and their number, name of their sport/activity (football, band, cheerleading, drill team, etc.,)and the current school year.

Stapler

Satin mum flower

Tiny trinkets: cow bells, footballs, cheer megaphones, etc.

The newest trend is to put something in the middle of the mum, like a small Teddy Bear. (I think LED's would be better!)

The ribbons for guys aren't as long, but they are just as massive. Instead of being worn with a pinned back, they are attached to a garter and worn around the upper arm.

Step 2: Making the Back of the Mum

You will need 6" inches of both the wide, and medium width ribbon for making each bow.

Place the medium with ribbon over the wide width. Cross the ends over the fronts of each other and staple together.

Turn the bow over, so the underside is showing, and staple it to the card.

Staple the bows to one of the card circles, evenly spacing them around.
The bows act as an accent to the back of the mum when attached.

Step 3: Adding the Mum

You can either glue the mum to the card with ribbon, or add some background sparkle before it.

I cut off the end off a Christmas decoration, repositioned it over the bows, glued it on, then glued the mum to it.

Step 4: Making the Accent Ribbons

Tie bells, beads, cheer horns, footballs, etc. to thin pieces of ribbon, garland, or colorful string.

I wound 2 kinds of Christmas garland around each other to make one piece.

Take a piece of thin ribbon, string colorful beads through it, and tie on some bells, helmets or whatever you want.

Make about 5 of the thin, accent pieces. (3' feet long each)

Step 5: Assembling the Main Ribbon Base

Staple opposite colors of the wide, 3' ribbon lengths together. Green, white, green, white......

Staple onto a second 6" diameter card, nearly up to the center hole. You should have 10 ribbons total.

Step 6: Decorating the Ribbons

There is no specific way to decorate the wide ribbons. Most Homecoming ribbons will have the words: HOMECOMING, 2008, a name, the name of the school, etc. They can also have bells, a favorite sport/activity sticker or emblem, and their name on it.

The one thing you will need to make sure of is that you have equal colors decorated.

2 silver, 4 green, 4 white. 10 ribbons will be decorated and placed over the other 10.

Anything that doesn't have a good adheasive backing will need to be hot glued on.

Step 7: Add the Accent Ribbons

Staple the thin peices of ribbon, that were decorated in Step 4, over the wide ribbons on the round card.

Step 8: Add the Decorated Ribbons

Decide where you want each piece to go before stapling them onto the card. Use hot glue, in addition to the staples for ribbons that are hard to staple.

I only have one picture of this that turned out, and had to re-do it. DO not staple the ribbons more than 1/2 way up the card. ALL ribbons should be below the center hole.

Tape the card to a wall, and trim the bottom so it's even.

Step 9: Backing

The third card circle is for the backing. This will be the one that covers up all the staples, and holds the pins so you can wear it.

Poke two small holes towards the top of the circle. Place the clasp end of a safety pin through the back and make it come out the other side.

(I only show the top piece, but when I tried it, it needed a second safety pin.)

Make 2 more holds towards the bottom of the circle and put another safety pin in.

Glue both safety pins to the card with hot glue. Glue the front and back of the safety pin.

Step 10: Glue It Together

The circle with the mum goes on front, the circle with the ribbons gets glued to the back of the mum, and the circle with the safety pins gets glued to the back of the ribbon circle. The mum should be facing out on front, and the safety pins should be facing out in back. The ribbons should be sandwiched in between.

1, 2, 3

I apologize for the lack of pictures. So many of them didn't turn out....I need a new camera.

Step 11: Final Touches

Many mums have bears glued to the front, but I opted to hot glue a large felt letter, and a "Homecoming" sign on.

Now go wear this proudly to your Homecoming game!

Step 12: Pictures As Promised.....

Here they are, the Homecoming Parade Pictures and once again, my ribbon is small. I felt ridiculous wearing it to the parade, then I felt ridiculous because it was so small!

The baseball player was wearing the boy's version with the garter.