Rope Trick

Effect:

Holding a piece of rope, the magician places the ends of the rope into his hands and closes his fingers around the ends. The magician shakes the rope slightly, says a magic word, blows on his hands and drops one end of the rope. Magic! The end has a knot in it!

Supplies:

One long piece rope

Secret:

The rope already has a knot in one end... Tie a knot in one end of the rope. Hide this end with the knot in your hand and bring the other end of the rope up next to it. Shake your hand as if you're trying to knot it. Drop the end with the knot and it looks like you have tied a knot in the rope using one hand.

MAGIC!

Pepper Trick

Special thanks to the viewer who shared this trick with us!

Effect:

Magician has cup with pepper and water.
Volunteer puts fingers in water trying to separate the pepper.
This will not work.
Magician puts fingers in water and the water separates.

Supplies:

Water
Soap
Pepper
Cup
(make sure there is a sink nearby so volunteer can wash hand)

Secret:

Put water in a cup then regular pepper.
Before show, rub soap on your fingers (this will separate the pepper)

MAGIC!

Magic Toothpick Trick

Effect:

The magician shows a pan full of water with five toothpicks in the shape of a pentagon.

The magician takes his magic toothpick and dips it in the center of the pentagon. The five toothpicks fly apart, breaking the pentagon!

Someone from the audience says... oh, that's just what happens when you do that, it's not magic. The magician arranges the five toothpicks back into a pentagon and hands the person in the audience the magic toothpick. The person dips it in the center. Nothing happens. It really was magic!

Supplies:

• a tinfoil pan (a pie plate or leftover Chinese food plate work well)
• water
• 6 flat wooden toothpicks
• the magic ingredient: liquid dishwashing soap

Before the Audience - Preparation:

Dip one of your toothpicks in liquid dishwashing soap. Set it aside for now.

Make sure your pan is clean. Rinse it well with water. Fill it quite full of water (but not so full that you're going to spill it).

In Front of the Audience - Preparation:

Arrange the five SOAPLESS toothpicks in the shape of a pentagon. Make sure the tips of the toothpicks overlap so your pentagon stays together. This can be a bit of a challenge the first time you do it, so practice arranging the toothpicks at home a few times first and consider arranging them while the audience is seating itself.

Now, when the audience is settled, let them look at the pentagon. They may have to stand to do this or you may want to do the trick on the floor with the audience around you in a U-shape.

Tell the audience that you've arranged the toothpicks into a special five sided shape called a pentagon and that you're going to cast a spell on the sixth toothpick to imbue it with some of your magical force so it will be able to break apart the pentagon. (big words always impress an audience *grin*)

Take out the sixth toothpick (the one that was dipped in dish soap) and wave your hand over it while chanting some magical words. Close your eyes and frown a bit so it looks like you're working on putting your magic into the toothpick.

Words you could chant: Alaka penta Abraka magic

Now, dip the magical toothpick into the center of the pentagon (Make sure you dip the soapy end in the water and try to get it as close to the center of the shape as possible -- the soap shouldn't be visible anymore). The five toothpicks will fly apart.

If you have a non-believer in the audience, offer to let them try the trick. Arrange the pentagon in the water again and hand them the magic toothpick. Let them dip it in the center. It won't work!

If the audience asks you to do the trick a second time, just tell them that it takes awhile to recharge your magical force. You have to rest before you can put more of it into a toothpick, otherwise you could lose your magic forever!

Secret:

Throughout history, a lot of 'magic' has really been science disguised with a few silly words. This is one of those tricks.

All things (including water) is made up of tiny things called molecules). Water molecules like each other and stick together (that's why when a bit of water falls on a table or window, it blobs together in a little droplet).

The surface of the water has a layer of clingy molecules on it -- this layer is called the water's surface tension. The toothpicks were nice and flat so they were floating on this layer.

e used

Magic Envelope Trick

Effect:

The magician asks for a volunteer to write down four numbers on a piece of paper.

The magician asks the volunteer to TOTAL up the numbers.

The magician opens a sealed envelope and it has the same number as the TOTAL!

(or have the magic puppet pull out an envelope and hand it to the magician. Have the puppet "whisper" to the magician to open up the envelope.)

Supplies:

~piece of paper
~a pen
~an envelope

Secret:

Before the show, write down a four figure number that is 2 times the current year's date. For example, in the year 2000, the number would = 4000. In the year 2001, the number would = 4002

Seal the paper in the envelope.

At the show, ask a helper to write down the year he was born.

Ask him to write down the year of an important event in his life (for example, the year he started school or the year he lost his first tooth)

Ask him to write down his age

Ask him to write down the number of years that have passed since the important event

(these numbers HAVE to be right *grin*... if it's been 4 years since the event and he writes down 3, the trick won't work)

The years have to be whole numbers (he can't say he's 6 and a half years old)

Have the assistant TOTAL the 4 numbers.

Open the envelope. The TOTAL will be the same as the number you already wrote down!

The Levitating Match Psychic Trick

Effect: You borrow an ordinary match from someone and place it in the palm of your hand. Ask your spectator to concentrate on moving the match by psychic power. The match then suddenly twitches, then jumps and finally, it raises up and stands on end!

Method: You will need two props for this. One is a small but powerful ceramic magnet and the other is a small steel rod that you conceal inside an ordinary paper match. Split the paper on a match from the bottom, insert the steel rod and glue the matchback together again.

You then palm the gimmicked match in your hand, then pretend to tear it from your spectator's matchbook and place it in the palm of your hand. The magnet is concealed under your sleeve, near your elbow. Hold the magnet in place with an elastic bandage and wear clothing loose enough to conceal it.

With the match in the palm of your hand, ask your sucker to concentrate and slowly move your hand up towards your elbow, palm up. As you get the match closer to the magnet, it will begin to jump or twitch. You can control its action just by how close you allow the match to get. Hold it directly over the magnet and the match will wobble and suddenly stand straight up. People will walk away convinced they are psychic. Well done !!!

Climbing Ring

Fun with some office supplies and a borrowed wedding ring.

The Effect: Take a rubber band and thread a borrowed finger ring onto it. The ring is sitting in the center of the band, but then slowly creeps up the rubber band, all by itself!

What You Need: A rubber band, not a real thick one, and a borrowed ring.

The Method: This trick almost works by itself. Actually, the rubber band does the trick, but you take the credit! Break the rubber band. You now have a long piece. Borrow a ring. Thread the ring onto the rubber band, but stretch the rubber band (not all the way; about 12" between your hands) and keep most of the rubber band in your left hand. When you do this, you will have a long, loose piece dangling hidden in your left palm. The spectators won't see this as the back of your hands are towards them. Your hands should be at the same level so that the rubber band is horizontal. Make sure that the ring is closer to right fingers, but not touching the fingers, about an inch away. Raise your right hand and allow the ring to fall towards your left hand and say, "Anyone can make the ring fall down. But I can make the ring fall up!" Allow the ring to fall within an inch of your left fingertips. Gently ease the grip on the rubber band with your left fingers allowing the rubber band to slide between your left fingertips. Don't worry; they won't see this. (You'll actually fool yourself the first time you do this!) The ring will move up the rubber band as if it were on an escalator. Return the ring, give the rubber band out as a souvenir and bow to your thunderous applause!

Make Money By Magic Money Trick

Ask someone to lend you $20 to put in an empty matchbox, you then also put $20 in. (You must point out the fact that you have also put in $20) Say to them that you will sell them the matchbox for $30. Believing that they are in for a bargain (spending $30 to buy a $40 matchbox). But the trick is that because they already have put in $20 they are in fact losing $10. (In total they have spent $50 for a $40 matchbox, and you get $30 instead of the $20 you started with. It is now a good time to congratulate them on their win and make a fast exit before they have time to work it out.