I’m looking for advice on a couple of fronts.  I need to make a crib for our outdoor Christmas Nativity scene.  After many years, the plastic one succumbed to the weather in south western <!—-><!—-><!—->Ohio <!—-><!—->.  The old crib was 20-inches long by 16-inches tall when folded flat and looked somewhat like an “X” when open.  I would like the one I make to fold flat or nearly flat too and open into an “X” too (unless anyone knows of plans to make a crib that can be taken apart for storage too or feels like describing a method to build a crib that can knocked down easily). 

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I plan on the crib being rather “open” to allow the rain and snow to fall through to the ground instead of collecting in the crib.  I was planning on using wood slats about one-inch to one and one-half inches wide by about 3/8” or ½” thick and then cutting half-dadoes where the slats cross each other.

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Question #1:  What would be a good wood to use for this project?

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Question#2:  What would you to finish and protect the wood?

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Question#3:  Any idea or suggestions on the type of hardware to use that would allow the crib to fold nearly flat? 

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Thanks in advance for all your help..