Advice on making a hoop skirt

Greetings.

My local Y is doing an Urban Nutcracker and the children in the classes are going to perform. The vision the teacher has for the class my daughter is in is a woman is wearing a large hoop skirt that the children are hiding behind or under and are able to run out from behind or under it for a dance with their parents.

Any advice on where to find a hoop - can I somehow rig a hula hoop up under a skirt? I actually just bought a pattern (Burda 3737) - really for the bloomers - but it looks like it has a hoop skirt pattern there as well. I just cannot figure out how to do the hoop part.

Thanks for any insight, Beth

I've heard NOT to use a hula hoop.  It's too heavy and only pushes out the bottom of the skirt.  You should be able to find plastic corset boning in most big fabric stores.  Stitched in rows, this stuff should hold out the skirt nicely.

 
Hello!
Irene is correct; a hula hoop is a bit too inflexible for a hoop skirt and if you need to cut it, the edge may shred your fabric.
You can get bridal boning by the yard at most fabric stores.  One or two rows of it ought to do the trick.  You can also get boning used in Civil War reenactor clothing at http://www.farthingales.on.ca/home.htm  or http://www.longago.com/findings.html
if you want heavier/stronger boning for the skirt.

Saff