Knowing what to wear for a fancy dress party is always a pain, I normally try to keep to something topical. With the recent Transformers film out it was the perfect opportunity to come as Optimus Prime!

I recently came across this video which gave me the initial concept for my Transformer. The idea is that I could be both the robot and the truck of Optimus Prime.

Here is a video of how the costume worked.

It's basically made from one cardboard box split open apart from one hinge. I've then attached it to my back with a belt and added two other boxes to support it on my shoulders - this way its high enough above my head to close and the weight is evenly distributed.

I've then attached another bit of card to the shoulder boxes so that I can freely move up and down (if I had strapped it to my chest I wouldn't be able to bend and you would be able to see my feet.) The slots in the bottom of the card are so I can move my legs while crouching.

It looked the following while crouching:

Half way up:

And standing up:

Benjie had come as a giant Tetris piece - it made a handy drinks holder.

Here is a better picture of the side of the truck.

And again:

Who would ever have thought this was not a real truck...

Group photo - hint: I'm in the middle.

The giant wings proved difficult for getting through doors.

A full set of pictures of the evening can be found on my Flickr account.

Much love to Beanie and Nej for hosting the party.