After researching the best types of boning, I decided to use cable ties. Whale bone was obviously out, and I didn't want to have to order boning online and wait a long time. Joann's doesn't have much for a historical sewer.
Enter the Home Depot. I got one bag of 36 inch cable ties. It ended up being the perfect amount for my stays. I had exactly zero leftovers.
I cut the ties to the right size and then used sand paper to round the edges. It took quite a while and I got a few blisters, but I'm glad I used cable ties. They're very light but also hold their shape well when there's a bunch of them together.
A just cut bone on the bottom and a smoothed bone on the top.
The stays with all the boning
