Match Maker

Effect: Matches appear in an empty box.

Secret: The matchbox drawer is secretly prepared by cutting it in two. One section is longer than the other. Put the two pieces of drawer in the box and fill it with matches. To show the box empty pull the long part of the divided drawer from the box. The matches will remain in position inside the cover and the drawer will appear to be empty. Close the drawer. To show the box full push the drawer from the other end. This moves both pieces of the drawer and the matches make their appearance.

Making Money

Effect: Three coins are placed in your hand. When you open your hand again the number of coins has increased to five.

Secret: Before your performance secretly stick two coins to the underside of your table with Plasticine. Place three coins on the table. Let everyone see that your hands are empty. With your right hand, scoop the coins from the table into your left hand. At the same time, the left fingers reach under the table and take the two hidden coins. Open your left hand and the coins have magically multiplied.

Magic Stamp Album

Effect: An empty album becomes magically filled with stamps.

Secret: You need an exercise book to make this trick. Go through the book and cut a narrow strip from the edges of every other page. On every double page where the short edge is to the right, stick some stamps. The pages where the short page is on the left should be left untouched. Flick through the pages with your right hand and it will look like an ordinary exercise book. Say some magic words and flick through the book again using your left hand and the book is filled with stamps.

Link Up

Effect: Two paper clips link together without you touching them.

Secret: You need two paper clips and a sheet of paper. Fold over one-third of the paper and place a clip over the top of the doubled thickness. Fold the other end of the paper in the opposite direction to the first and place the second clip over the two thicknesses of paper just formed. The position should now be as shown. Pull sharply on each end of the paper and the clips will leap off into the air and link themselves together.

Knot From Nowhere

Effect: A knot mysteriously appears in the corner of a handkerchief.

Secret: Before your performance, secretly tie a knot in one corner of a handkerchief. Show the handkerchief but hold it with the knot hidden in your right hand. The left hand now lifts the bottom end of the handkerchief and places it in the right hand along with the top corner. Give the handkerchief a shake and drop the unknotted end. Repeat this two or three times. On the second or third attempt allow the knotted corner to drop, retaining your grip on the other corner. All you have done is change the corner you are holding but it appears that the knot has formed by magic.

Kings And Aces

Effect: Two playing cards make a mysterious journey.

Secret: You need a special playing card. First glue an Ace of Spades and a King of Diamonds back to back. Cut an Ace of Clubs in half lengthways. Glue this on top of the Ace of Spades. Now glue a smaller strip of another King of Diamonds on top of that. Hold a King of Hearts against the special card and it looks like four cards. Place the four cards in a box. Bring out the King of Hearts and place it in another box. Secretly turn the special card over and bring it out, showing the King of Diamonds. Also place this in the other box. Show the first box empty. The Aces have vanished. Take all four cards (really only two) from the second box, showing them as you did before. It seems that the Aces have magically traveled across.

Jumping Elastic

Effect: An elastic band penetrates the fingers.

Secret: Place an elastic band over the first two fingers of your left hand as shown. With the right hand stretch the band to show it really is over the fingers. Close the left hand, at the same time secretly allowing the tips of all your left fingers to go into the band as shown in the second drawing. Open your hand and the elastic band will jump from the first two fingers to the third and fourth fingers. Keep the back of your left hand towards your audience at all times when performing this trick and it will look like the band penetrates through the first two fingers.

It's Matchic!

Effect: You reveal how many matches were moved while your back was turned.

Secret: Secretly put a small pencil dot on a match, just below the head. Do this on all four sides of the match and then put it back in the box. When you show the trick, remove ten matches from the box and put them down in a row. The marked match must be placed at the left end of the row. Turn your back and ask someone to move any number of matches, one at a time, from the left end of the row to the right. When you turn around you have only to spot the position of the marked match and count from that to the right end of the row to know how many have been moved.

Indestructible String

Effect: A string is threaded through a drinking straw. The straw is cut in two but the string remains unharmed.

Secret: Secretly cut a short slit in the straw. Thread the string through the straw. Bend the straw in half and pull both ends of the string. This forces the string through the slit in the straw. Your hand hides this from the audience. Cut through the straw, as shown by the dotted line in the drawing. Now pull the string from your hand. The straw is in two pieces but the string is still whole.

Indestructible Handkerchief

Effect: A large safety pin is pulled through a handkerchief without tearing it.

Secret: Ask someone to hold a handkerchief out taut. Push a safety pin through the material, near the edge of the handkerchief. Hold the pin by the tail end and turn it towards yourself. Now pull the pin to the right. When you stop, push the pin forward so it goes back through the material. You have moved the pin from one place to another without tearing the handkerchief. What actually happens is that the material runs between the bar and the head of the pin.

In The Red

Effect: You instantly identify a selected card.

Secret: Place all the black cards on top of the red cards and you are ready. Spread the cards face down and ask someone to take any card. Make sure he takes one from the top (black) half of the pack. He then replaces it anywhere in the pack but you make sure he replaces it somewhere in the bottom (red) half of the pack. Look through the cards and somewhere in the red cards will be one black card. That is the chosen card. Remove it and show it to everyone.

Homing Coins

Effect: Four coins disappear then magically return.

Secret: On two sides of a triangular stand is a ledge to hold four coins. Those on one side are loose, the others are glued in place. The stand is on your table with the loose coins on show. Pretend to take the first coin away but really let it fall behind the stand. Put the imaginary coin in a paper bag. Do the same with the other coins. As you cover the stand with a scarf, tip the stand backwards. Blow up the bag and burst it. Whisk the scarf away and the coins have returned.

Going Up!

Effect: Two tumblers are suspended from a newspaper balanced on a magic wand.

Secret: Bend a paper clip around your magic wand to form a U shape. Tape the wire to a newspaper. The newspaper is shown and then folded into a long flat tube. The secret wire should be on the side of the newspaper nearest to you. Place the newspaper across two tumblers, making sure that each prong of the wire goes into the tumblers. Place your wand between the tumblers and lift it towards the newspapers. The newspaper will be lifted – but so will the tumblers.

Going By Tube

Effect: A rolled magazine travels up and down a string.

Secret: Roll a magazine into a tube and use paper clips to hold it. Double a piece of string and hook its centre on the bottom clip inside the tube. A second string is looped through the first as shown in the illustration. Pull on the strings at top and bottom and the magazine will rise up the string. Pull on the top string, relax your grip on the lower string and allow your hands to move slightly closer together and the magazine will go back down.

Fruit Transformation

Effect: An orange transforms itself into an apple.

Secret: Carefully cut the peel from an orange, as shown in the illustration and scoop out all the fruit. When the peel has dried put an apple inside it. Hold the peel closed and it appears you are holding an ordinary orange. Cover the orange with an handkerchief. When you remove the handkerchief, take the orange peel off the apple but keep it hidden within the material. Casually drop the handkerchief (with the orange peel still hidden) behind something on your table or put it in your pocket, as you display the apple.

Food And Drink

Effect: From cards bearing the names of foods, you pick out the odd card on which is written the name of a drink.

Secret: You need six blank cards, one of which is fractionally longer than the others. Hand five cards to spectators and ask them to write down foods. The long card is handed to someone with the request that he write the name of a drink. The cards are mixed up and handed back to you. Without looking you immediately pick out the drink card. You can detect it quite easily by touch.

Folding Money

Effect: A currency note turns itself over.

Secret: Hold the note in your left hand then fold it in half lengthways towards you. Next fold it in half away from you. Finally, fold the note in half again, this time towards your body. Now slowly unfold the note from the front, making each movement in the same direction. The note is now upside down! Strangely enough, this trick is more baffling if you do it really slowly but, like all tricks, you must practise it thoroughly to make sure you can do it perfectly before showing it to anyone.

Floating Beaker

Effect: A plastic beaker floats in the air.

Secret: On one side of a plastic beaker attach a strip of strong paper. It is important that the paper is loose along the centre portion. To make the beaker appear to float, you push your right thumb through the paper loop. Place your left hand near your right hand and then lift your hands in the air. With practice it will appear that the beaker is floating in the air. Keep the taped side of the beaker nearest your body so the audience do not see it.

Floating Ball

Effect: A small ball defies gravity and floats in space

Secret: The secret is a long loop of dark thread which is on your table with a ping-pong ball resting on it. Put your thumbs through each end of the loop. Lift your hands with the thread stretched between them and the ball appears to be floating in the air. With practice you can make the ball float from hand to hand (it is really just rolling along the thread). You must wear dark clothing for this trick and be a little distance from your audience so the thread cannot be seen.

Flag Of The Realm

Effect: Red, white and blue ribbons change into a Union Jack.

Secret: Fold a Union Jack and place it on a sheet of newspaper. Put another sheet of newspaper on top and glue the two sheets together with the flag hidden between them. The prepared newspaper is on your table at the start of the trick. Show some red, white and blue ribbons. Wrap them up in the newspaper. Tear into the newspaper bundle and pull out the flag. Leave the ribbons hidden in the paper.

Find The Lady

Effect: A spectator tries to pick the Queen – but ends up with the Joker.

Secret: Glue a piece of a Queen to an Ace. Place a Joker on top and slightly to one side. Put another Ace exactly on top of the Joker. Show the cards (with the Joker hidden). You appear to be holding two Aces and a Queen. Turn the cards face down, as you do so spread them to separate the Joker and the Ace. Invite someone to take the Queen. He will take the centre card – but it is the Joker!

Find The Coin

Effect: A coin is covered with any one of three cups and the cups are then moved around. You can say immediately which cup is covering the coin.

Secret: Attached to the coin is a long hair. When the coin has been covered the three cups can be moved around as much as anyone wants. Although your back has been turned while this has been going on you can easily locate which cup hides the coin. All you have to do is look for the hair sticking out from beneath one of the cups and that tells you all you need to know!

Disappearing Coin

Effect: A coin disappears from your hand in spite of the fact that several people check it is there.

Secret: Show the coin on the palm of your hand and cover it with a handkerchief. Go to several people and ask them to feel the coin under the handkerchief. The last person you approach is (unbeknown to the rest of the audience) your secret assistant. He pretends to feel the coin but actually takes it off your palm. You can now pull the handkerchief away with a flourish and your hands are shown completely empty. The coin has disappeared.

Dictionary Deception

Effect: You read someone's mind.

Secret: On the top right corner of each right hand page of the middle third of a dictionary write the word printed at the top of the left page. Hold the spine of the book in your left hand and ruffle the pages with the right. Ask someone to stop you anywhere. Make certain he stops you somewhere in the central section. Open the book wide and ask him to remember the word at the top of the left hand page. You look at the word you wrote on the opposite page then pretend to read the spectator's mind.

Dice Deception

Effect: You read someone's mind.

Secret: Whilst your back is turned (or you can be blindfolded) someone throws a die on the table. Ask him to remember the number thrown and then to make another throw. Tell him to double the first number he threw and to add five to the answer. He has now to multiply his answer by five and then add on the second number thrown. Ask him what total he has reached. Mentally subtract 25 from the answer he gives. You will end up with a two digit number – the first digit is the first number thrown and the second is the second number thrown. Now pretend to read the spectator's mind and tell him what numbers he threw.

Cut And Restored Ribbon

Effect: A ribbon is cut in two then restored.

Secret: You need a piece of ribbon a metre long and another eight centimetres long. Sew the short piece to the middle of the long piece. Provided you keep it moving, the short piece will not be noticed. Fold the ribbon in half and pull the centre up through your fist. In fact you pull up only the short piece. Cut through the short piece and then cut away the rest of it (including the stitched bit).You have cut the ribbon in two but you can now show it completely restored!

Cup Through Table

Effect: A cup or glass vanishes when wrapped in a sheet of paper.

Secret: A piece of paper wrapped around the cup or glass will retain the shape of the cup – even after the magician has secretly dropped the cup into his lap.

Props: A cup or glass, any small object and a sheet of newspaper or tissue paper.

Preparation: Select a piece of newspaper slightly larger than the cup so that it will cover it completely with some overlap.

Presentation: Place the cup over any small object and wrap the paper around it. Ask the audience what is under the cup. Everyone will, of course, suspect that you are about to vanish the object. Lift the paper and cup to reassure everyone that the object is still on the table. Moving the wrapped cup slightly towards you, just clear of the table relax your hold so that the cup is allowed to quietly drop into your lap, out of sight of the audience, of course, whose attention is still focused on the object.The paper will retain the shape of the cup. When you again place the paper over the object, you must maintain the illusion that you are replacing both paper and cup. Wave your hand mysteriously over the "cup" and claim that you will make the object vanish. When you lift the "cup" the object is still there. Remove the object but replace the "cup". Tell the audience that something must have gone wrong and you are unable to vanish the object, so you have decided to vanish the cup instead! At that moment dramatically smash your hand down onto the paper which will flatten, giving the appearance that the "cup" has penetrated the table. Bring the cup from under the table (removing it from your lap, in one smooth movement) and replace it on the table.

Crafty Catch

Effect: Two pre-determined cards are caught in mid-air.

Secret: Secretly place the Seven of Clubs on the bottom of the pack and the Nine of Spades on the top. When you do the trick, remove the Seven of Spades and the Nine of Clubs from the pack. Show them briefly and push them into the pack. Throw the pack in the air but keep tight hold of the top and bottom cards. Pretend you have caught the two you now hold. Show them triumphantly and everyone will believe they are the two cards you placed in the centre of the pack earlier.

Colour Sense

Effect: You identify the colour of a crayon handed to you behind your back.

Secret: Ask someone to take any crayon from a box and hand it to you behind your back.You then turn to face the audience but keep the crayon behind your back. Secretly dig your right thumb into the crayon.Keep hold of the crayon behind your back as you bring your right hand up to your forehead as if concentrating. Take a quick look at your nail – you will see bits of crayon in it and will know the chosen colour. Concentrate some more and then announce the colour.

Coin In The Glass

Effect: A coin disappears.

Secret: Put a coin in the centre of a handkerchief draped over your right hand. Place a glass tumbler on the palm of your left hand. Turn your right hand over, retaining a grip on the coin and bring the handkerchief over the glass. When the glass is covered tilt it towards you. Drop the coin. It hits the glass (convincing everyone it has gone into the glasses) and drops onto your hand. Place the glass (still covered) on your table and casually drop the coin in your pocket.Remove the handkerchief – the coin has vanished.

Clip The Card

Effect: A spectator tries to put a paper clip on the centre of a group of five cards but fails.

Secret: Glue five playing cards together. The card in the centre should stand out from the rest. Show the cards to a spectator. Hand him the clip and ask him to put it on the centre card when you have turned the cards face down. He puts the clip on the centre card. When you turn the cards face up the clip is actually on the end card! The trick works by itself – but there is no need to tell your audience that!

Changing Card

Effect: A playing card changes value magically.

Secret: You need an Ace of Clubs, a Queen of Hearts and one other card. Score across the centre of the Ace and the Queen and glue them together for half their length. Use the third to form a back to the special card. Hold the card in your left hand with the flap pointing upwards. Pass your right hand over the card and, as you do so, push the flap down to its lower position – and the card changes.

Change The Ace

Effect: The Ace of Spades changes to the Ace of Hearts.

Secret: Place the Ace of Hearts and the Ace of Spades on top of the pack. Turn over the top card and show it is the Ace of Spades. Place it back on the pack face up. Push the two top cards a little to the right, so they overlap the edge of the pack by one centimetre. Throw the pack firmly down on the table. Air pressure causes the two top cards to turn over and the Ace of Hearts will now be face up.

Chain Reaction

Effect: Paper clips form themselves into a chain.

Secret: Link 10 paper clips and put them in one corner of an envelope. Put a strip of glue on the inside of the envelope, just above the chain. Put 10 loose paper clips into the envelope and you are ready to show the trick. Tip out the loose clips then drop them, one at a time, back into the envelope and seal it down. Tear off the corner of the envelope. The chain will drop out. Casually put the envelope in your pocket and display the chain of clips.

Card To Matchbox

Effect: A playing card changes into a matchbox.

Secret: Trim a playing card and glue it to the top of a matchbox. Carefully fold the card over the box as shown. Glue a matchbox label on the back of the card so when the card is folded it looks like an ordinary matchbox. Show your audience the playing card. The matchbox is hidden behind it. Bring your hand over the card and secretly fold it up over the box. Remove your hand and it seems that you have made a playing card change magically into a matchbox.