A turtleneck, sweatpants, and gloves that match your Transformer's
colors
Dark or black shoes
A friend
Two ping-pong paddles
Steps
Prepare the torso box
Find a tall, rectangular moving box that will fit over your upper body.
It should be long enough to reach to your waist and wide enough to go
from armpit to armpit. Cut off the open flaps; then, cut circular holes
on each side for your arms and a hole on top for head. The armholes
should fit snugly around your arms.
Ask your local grocery store, bike shop, appliance
store, or furniture shop for boxes. They’re often willing
to give them away.
Make
the arms
You’ll need two small boxes for each arm: one for the shoulder and bicep,
and one for the forearm (use just one box on a small child). Shoe or
tissue boxes work well. Cut holes in the tops and bottoms so your arms
can fit through. Again, make sure the armholes are snug.
Make
the leg boxes
For the legs, choose two long and narrow boxes – one for each leg. They
should cover the distance from your knees to your ankles. Make holes
on opposite ends that are just big enough to fit your feet through when
you pull them on. The cardboard should sit firmly against your calves
and ankles.
Construct
the headpiece
Find a box that is just large enough to fit around your head. Remove
the bottom of the box and try it on. The headpiece should almost reach
the torso box resting on your shoulders. Take it off and cut out holes
for the eyes.
Paint two ping-pong paddles in a solid color
and glue them upside down on each side of the head box. They make
great antennae.
Decorate your costume
Spray paint the cardboard boxes in colors that correspond to your favorite
Transformer. Use the tempera paint and duct tape to add patterns and
decorations, and glue the plastic wheels from a toy truck to the outside
of your leg boxes.
Dress
in your bot's colors
Put on a turtleneck, sweatpants, and gloves that match your character’s
colors.
Put
on the costume
Put on the costume, starting with the leg pieces while you can still
bend down. Then, put on some dark or black shoes. Have a friend lower
the torso box onto your upper body, and place the arm boxes over your
arms, affixing them firmly into the armholes. Finish by putting the
headpiece in place. Now all that’s left to do is transform and roll
out!
Prepare the torso box 
Make
the arms 
Make
the leg boxes 
Construct
the headpiece 
Decorate your costume 
Dress
in your bot's colors 
Put
on the costume 
