Home » Game & Toy Costumes » Transformers Costumes » Optimus Prime Costumes » Cool Transforming Optimus Prime Costume

Cool Transforming Optimus Prime Costume

There are a few transforming costume designs out there, but it seems like they usually just settle for the idea that any arrangement of pieces that looks like a car or truck when it is on the ground is good enough. My goal was to build a costume accurate to the design of Optimus Prime in both standing and truck form.

For this Transforming Optimus Prime Costume I began by gathering up spare boxes from stores and freecycle.com. I was lucky enough to find someone giving away a few wardrobe boxes, which supplied more than enough sturdy cardboard for the job.

I had no design but I watched various Youtube videos, picking out elements that I liked and leaving the rest. I had a false start about three weeks before Halloween in which my materials proved unworkable. I tracked down some better stuff and began two weeks before on the project.

The design and construction processes happened simultaneously, and as a result many modifications were necessary as the project rolled forward. I had to add counterbalances and stiffeners, redesign the shoulders several times, and add a harnessed yoke on my back to properly support the load. I had to include a “trailer” part to cover my back side, though Optimus generally transforms into just a cab.

The final product took, I estimate, two wardrobe boxes and several smaller ones; one kickboxing headgear; one novelty hard hat; one corkboard frame; two small lengths of PVC pipe; one roughly 8 foot length of climbing rope; two tap night lights; eight rolls of duct tape including about three of gorilla tape; six stroller wheels; and one piece of paper. I may be forgetting something in there.

A better view of the transformation (and one in which the top flap closes) can be found here:

Here are some more process pictures:
Cool Transforming Optimus Prime Costume

Cool Transforming Optimus Prime Costume

Cool Transforming Optimus Prime Costume

Cool Transforming Optimus Prime Costume

Cool Transforming Optimus Prime Costume

Cool Transforming Optimus Prime Costume



Coolest Homemade Costume Contest 2023

1 thought on “Cool Transforming Optimus Prime Costume”

Leave a Comment