How to Make Homemade Flash Paper

Use this fast and simple method to make homemade magician's flash paper using easily obtained items. Make your flash paper out of doors for safety reasons.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Carpet knife
• Road flare
• Shallow bowl
• Paper towel
• Spoon
• White spirit
• 2 small cooking pans
• Outdoor propane cooker
• Toilet paper
• Gloves
• Cookie sheet

1. Use a carpet knife to slice open a road flare lengthwise. Dump the flare's white crystals into a shallow bowl.

2. Cover the crystals with a paper towel. Use the back of a spoon to crush the crystals into a powder.

3. Pour a small amount of white spirit (3 ounces) into a small cooking pan. Painters use white spirit to clean paint brushes; find it at paint or hardware stores.

4. Add the crushed crystals to the white spirit.

5. Place the white spirit mixture on an outdoor propane cooker using a low flame. Cook for 20 minutes.

6. Pour the clear syrup-like layer that forms on top of the white spirit into another pan.

7. Cut toilet paper into small pieces. Soak the pieces in the white spirit syrup for 30 minutes. Wearing gloves, remove the paper and place on a cookie sheet. Leave the cookie sheet in the sun for at least 2 hours or until the papers are thoroughly dry.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep all heat sources away from the road flare crystals.
• Use common sense when burning anything, even flash paper.