“Mum Wars” is here, and you really should watch it
As a “mumologist” (a word I made up), I study the heritage of homecoming mums, especially in Texas. I’m always on the lookout for historical information that captures the legacy of the past, and trends that make up the pop culture influences which continue to shape the tradition.
So I ask you. What’s more pop culture-y than reality TV?
With that in mind, I’m kicking off the 2026 high school football season with my newest obsession: the first-ever homecoming mum making reality competition show. And heck yeah, it’s called Mum Wars.
Ten teams of mum makers, each consisting of five members, compete for a cash prize and bragging rights in Mum Wars. Throughout the single-episode pilot, the teams compete in three rounds of challenges, each delivering an increasingly dynamic and deliciously chaotic journey through the mum making process. Without giving too much away, the drama crescendos as teams build mums based on different themes until…TIME’S UP! Guest judges then deliberate and name a winning team.
Executive producer Leatha Sims describes Mum Wars as "Supermarket Sweep meets Cake Wars." As I watched the pilot, I also picked up a splash of the Peabody Award-winning show, Friday Night Lights, and its underlying truism: Whether you’re talking about high school football, kids, community or mums, in Texas we go big or we go home.
Students wearing smaller underclassman mums to school on homecoming day, © Amy J. Schultz
What is a homecoming mum, anyway?
If you don’t know what a homecoming mum is, you’re on a steep learning curve that Mum Wars doesn’t address. So if you need a quick primer on homecoming mums, read this story on my blog before you watch the show: mumentousbook.com/blog/what-is-a-homecoming-mum-in-texas. After, when you’re ready to take a deeper dive (shameless plug alert), check out my book Mumentous, which is available in hardback, eBook and audiobook.
Leatha acknowledges her own learning curve as a first-time executive producer.
“One thing I learned from producing the pilot is that we didn't spend enough time explaining what homecoming mums are, where they came from, or why they're such an important part of Texas culture,” Leatha said. “That's something I absolutely want to include in future episodes because it gives viewers the context they need to truly appreciate the competition.”
Future episodes? Be still my heart.
How to watch Mum Wars like an insider
What Mum Wars does best is celebrate the creator side of the homecoming mum industry. As you watch the show, keep your eyes open for these and other IYKYKs:
“Who made that?” When a student shows up to school on homecoming day wearing a particularly unique or fabulous mum, this is the question everyone asks her. Why? Because, well, next year’s mum.
Braids. Intricate, multi-layered ribbon braiding is a signature of successful mumtrepreneurs. Good braids are tricky and great braids defy gravity. Braiding is one of the reasons I am a mumologist and not a mum maker. Glue guns are the other reason. Click here to learn more about how a mum is made >
Shopping cart chaos. If you’re lucky enough to live near a mum supply store like The Saleplace in Balch Springs or Amistad Floral & Crafts in McAllen and San Antonio, do not wait until the last minute to shop for supplies. I’m not saying that there will be bloodshed over the last bolt of diamond dust ribbon in white, but there might.
Theme mums. Unlike a standard corsage (which is how mums began), a Texas-style homecoming mum is a reflection of the student wearing it. Woven throughout a mum’s design are a customized mix of emblems that represent the student’s interests, activities, relationships, priorities, preferences, and aspirations. Theme mums express this individuality in very unique ways, and they are growing in popularity. Click here to see different styles of homecoming mums >
Smack talk vs sisterhood. True to the reality show genre, some Mum Wars contestants engage in sassy banter for the camera. I find this particularly funny because this isn’t based on real life. Yes, of course, mum makers compete with each other for customers and yes, of course, there are a few who are bad sports. But honestly, the vast majority of mumtrepreneurs I’ve met are way more interested in building up the tradition by building up the profession and each other. Consequently, there are many formal organizations and informal groups that bring makers together in the spirit of idea-sharing, mentorship, collaboration, education, and networking.
1:25 guys to girls ratio. In addition to manufacturers, tens of thousands of people (maybe more?) make up the supply side of the homecoming mum industry in Texas. This includes wholesalers, dye sub printers, distributors, retailers, and custom mum makers. Most, but not all, are women. Did you notice the two men among the 50 contestants? Way to represent, fellas! Click to learn more about this women-led industry >
Hey, Mr. D.J. Is that a Mum Wars theme song I hear?
Mum Wars: The Origin Story
Leatha Sims not only produced Mum Wars but she created the show, hosted it and served as de facto production manager.
Leatha Sims
“The idea for Mum Wars actually came to me more than 10 years ago,” Leatha told me. “Every year at homecoming season, I watched the excitement, the school spirit, the magic, and the incredible talent and creativity of so many mum makers… and I kept thinking, this belongs on television. Because it's all centered around America's favorite sport—football—it already has a built-in audience.”
Leatha has been making custom homecoming mums and garters under her Mumstar brand for over 15 years. But Leatha isn’t just good with a glue gun. She’s an entrepreneur, aka “mumtrepreneur” (another word I made up). She has a knack for marketing and community-building, and she deeply understands both the supply and demand side of homecoming mums. Leatha notices when small changes become an emerging trend.
“Mum makers (in Texas) regularly ship homecoming mums all over the United States, which tells me there's a growing curiosity and appreciation for this tradition,” Leatha said. “I would love to see other states discover that excitement and begin creating their own unique homecoming mum traditions.”
To help connect mum enthusiasts across the United States with each other, Leatha recently created a social media group called Homecoming Mums Across America.
“My dream is to see homecoming become bigger, more creative and more celebrated nationwide while honoring the tradition that Texas has built over generations,” Leatha said.
Mum Wars is another expression of Leatha’s dream, which finally started to come to life about three years ago when she teamed up with mumtrepreneur Brenda Barros Rivera to host mum fashion shows, showcases and meet-and-greets with fellow makers.
“Those events taught us valuable lessons that helped shape the vision for Mum Wars,” Leatha said. A number of social media groups, such as DFW/North Texas Homecoming Mum Makers and Houston Homecoming Mum Makers, also became platforms for feedback and eventually, for recruiting teams to participate in Mum Wars.
“Watching complete strangers connect over a shared passion for homecoming mums and become teammates was one of the most rewarding parts of building Mum Wars,” Leatha said. “It showed me that this community was ready for something like this, and their excitement confirmed the idea had real potential.”
Leaving a legacy
Spreading the gospel of Texas-style homecoming mums to the “upper 49” would, I imagine, be great for business, but when I asked Leatha why Mum Wars is important to her, I got a different kind of answer.
“I know there will come a day when I won't be able to make homecoming mums on the same scale that I do today,” Leatha said. “If Mum Wars can educate people, entertain them and inspire schools across the country to embrace homecoming with the same excitement and creativity that Texas is known for… then I'll feel like I've helped preserve and grow something that has meant so much to me for the past 15 years.”
Joy, love and gratitude
Every homecoming mum is created by someone, given by someone and worn by someone. After over a decade of studying this tradition, I can say without hesitation that those which are created, given and worn with joy, love and gratitude are the best mums of all.
Ordinarily I don’t include other people’s shout outs in my blog stories, but Leatha’s outpouring of joy, love and gratitude won me over. Here is her thank you list to the partnerships she forged along her journey of making Mum Wars:
Velma McMillan, Blo Blow Dry Bar
Frederick "Fred" Russell III, aka "Mr. Quiet on the Set”
Theresa Mitchell, photographer
Michael Sims, Leatha’s husband
Victoria Sims and Serida Sims, Leatha’s youngest daughters
Mum Wars judges Brittany Luree and Rhonda Nickerson
The 50 people who made up the ten Mum Wars teams
Mum Wars 2027?
Leatha isn’t finished with Mum Wars.
“My hope is that a television network or production company comes on board… but I also understand that opportunities like this take time,” Leatha said. “I've always believed that if you truly believe in your vision, you don't wait for permission. You keep moving forward… So while I'm actively pitching Mum Wars, I'm also planning another competition for February 2027. I truly believe Mum Wars is going to find the right home sooner rather than later. Until that happens, I'll keep building, improving and expanding the brand.”
I can’t wait.
