Janet Knechtel

Puppet maker, minder and mender

I started out as a prop maker in Canadian theatre. Then I moved to New York to run the props department at the Juilliard School for three years. While in New York I met the Muppets and puppets have been part of my life ever since.

I am now based in London, England. I work as puppet maker, costumer and fabricator for film, theatre and TV. Projects range in size from a six metre long ‘slinky’ space creature for Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - to Flat Eric, the puppet in the Levi’s commercial which I built and helped to design - to tiny costumes for stop motion puppets in Corpse Bride and Fantastic Mr Fox.