Pom-pom Flower

This pom-pom flower is made from instructions in the book Ganutell by Maria Kerr. Pom-poms can be used very effectively as fillers in arrangements. It's also possible to cut the chenille (what the pom-pom is made from) loops in order to get a different look. You can also make individual chenille petals and bring them together to make a flower. This particular example is just one long length of chenille wrapped around a central bead.
To make chenille, you can use a knitting needle, size ~0.5 cm. Fold the rayon thread in half twice and then tie it to a piece of 0.2 mm (32 gauge) wire. Wrap the tread around the cane as if you were making an embroidery button hole stitch. Then twist the wire around the thread to secure. Make several more stitches this way until you are satisfied with the length, and remove the chenille from the knitting needle. If you wish to make a pom-pom, wrap the chenille around a central stamen. If you want to make chenille petals, fold the chenille in half and bind it to a piece of wire. Make several more petals, then join into a flower.
If you would like to see some lovely examples of classic Ganutell flowers, then please visit Ganutell: A Beautiful Maltese Handcraft. There is a wide array of photos which show flowers for weddings, individual flowers, church work, etc. Enjoy!