:I found good looking red wood but it was the 1 1/4 inch
: decking. I suppose that could be used.

I'm a bit surprised that you found redwood decking. Mostly I see cedar or pressure treated SPF (that is a generic term for a white wood which may be Spruce, Pine or Fir) for decks. But, I guess you got lucky.

Teh 5/4 lumber is closer to an inch in thickness. You can use in just as wel for strips, unless they have to bend a lot. In areas of great bending you will probably want to rip these narrower so they will be more flexible. ting them in half you would get strips that are a bit under 1/2 inch wide, and limber enough for most purposes.

PGJ