Hi Don,
I have had some great luck with using "actual" wood.
If you have a cigar store nearby, ask the person working there if they can give you the thin wood sheets they use as inserts in cigar tubes. If they don't have any just lying around you may have to buy a cigar (in the tube) to get what you need but the last time I tried, they were more than happy to give me sheets of the stuff at no charge.
It has grain, can be stained, and glues easily using just white glue.
Hope this helps,
Mark