How to Pop a Drinking Straw

Popping a drinking straw is far more impressive than it sounds, creating a loud noise and breaking the straw in half. While this practical joke may impress your friends, it should be practiced with caution in public places, since the loud noise can cause alarm. In just a few simple steps, you can learn to pop a drinking straw today.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Hold and pinch the drinking straw at both ends, and position the straw so that it is lengthwise. One hand should be close to your chest holding one end of the straw, while the other hand is straight in front of your chest holding the opposite end of the straw.
2. Pinch the ends firmly, and bring your far hand up and bring your close hand down, trading places with your hands. Once again, bring your far hand up and over its original position as you draw the close hand down and back. You should now see the straw beginning to wrap around itself.
3. Continue wrapping the straw tightly in this manner, making sure that the folds are even, one on top of the other. The drinking straw should not wrap around your fingers; rather, it should wrap around itself. Wrap until the center of the straw is extremely tight and hard, meaning it is ready to pop. There should be about 2 inches of straw in the middle.
4. Carefully bring one end of the drinking straw to your mouth, holding the wrapped portion tightly in your teeth. Close your eyes to protect yourself and then flick the center of the straw hard and fast, causing it to pop loudly and split in two.