How to Do Easy Magic Tricks

With a few quick tips, you can be a magician, too.

If you've ever longed to make a rabbit appear out of a hat, then you might have a bit of magician hidden deep inside you. Not all magic tricks are complicated and/or difficult to master. You can amaze people in a short time with some easy slight-of-hand magic tricks that require some inexpensive "props" and just a little preparation time. The first step of these tricks have to be done before you present them to an audience.

Things You'll Need

• Coffee mug
• Small sponge
• Ice cubes
• Cup with water
• Thumb tip
• 3 or 4 M&Ms candies
• Torn corner of an M&Ms candy bag
• Sealed M&Ms candy bag

Instructions

Torn and Restored M&M's Bag

1. Sharply crease the corner of the un-torn M&Ms bag. Place two or three M&M candies into your thumb tip along with a torn corner of the candy bag which could match the un-torn one. Put the thumb tip on your left thumb.

2. Show the audience the un-torn M&Ms bag. At the same time, slip the thumb tip off your thumb and hold it behind the candy bag. Slip the torn corner out of the thumb tip and hold it between your index and middle fingers on the inside of your right hand, out of sight of the audience. Ask for a volunteer to come help you.

3. Mime ripping the creased corner of the candy bag and reveal the torn corner in your hand with a flourish. Hand it to the volunteer and ask them to look at it. Pour the M&Ms in your thumb tip (still behind the candy bag so no one can see) into the volunteer's other hand. Encourage them to eat one of the candies.

4. Take the torn corner back from the volunteer and tell them you'll re-seal the bag for them. Block the candy bag with your left hand, make a flourish and simultaneously slip the torn corner back into the thumb tip and put it back onto your left thumb. Quickly un-fold the creased corner as you bring your right hand away (again, in such a way the audience cannot see what you're doing) and show the "restored" bag to the crowd.

Abracadabra, Ice

1. Cut the sponge so it fits at the bottom of the coffee cup. Push it down into the bottom of the mug so that it is snugly in place. Put one or two ice cubes on top of the sponge.

2. Tell your audience you can turn "water into ice with a wave of the hand." Place the pre-prepared coffee mug with the sponge/ice and cup of water on the table in front of you. Do not let anyone examine the props before you begin, as it will give the trick away.

3. Pour a little of the water into the coffee mug. Wave your hand over it and say "Abracadabra, ice!" Turn the cup over and spill the ice cubes onto the table.

Tips & Warnings

• Regardless of the kind of trick, exaggerate your movements to help sell the illusion. Hand flourishes are a popular exaggerated movement for magicians at any level. Also practice some misdirection, which is any action or talk that draws the audience's attention away from you so they don't see you perform an essential function of the trick. It can be easy as pointing in one direction and saying "What's that" in an astonished way.

References

• How to Do Tricks: Ice, Ice Baby!
• Good Tricks: M&Ms Torn and Restored Trick

Resources

• Penn & Teller: Slight of Hand