How to Build a Skyscraper Out of Playing Cards

Cheaper playing cards are more likely to have non-gloss surfaces.

Building a skyscraper out of playing cards takes patience, but with the right attitude and a level surface, you can stack your cards several feet high. You may adopt any number of strategies of varying complexity, like the four-card cell, to create towering masterpieces. If you are just getting started, though, you may need to go with a simpler design scheme, like the upside-down V. Starting out with upside-down V structures teaches you the mechanics of card stacking and sets you on the path toward your first major house of cards.

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Non-gloss playing cards (at least one pack)
Level surface

Instructions

- 1
  
  Clear off a work space on which to build your skyscraper. You need a clean, level surface in an area that isn't drafty. Otherwise, your skyscraper could come tumbling down as soon as a pet races through the room or the air conditioner clicks on.
- 2
  
  Lean two cards against one another to make a pyramid, or an upside-down V.
- 3
  
  Create another upside-down V in front of the first -- the two V's should be almost touching.
- 4
  
  Lay a card flat across the tops of the two V's, making a bridge (See References 1).
- 5
  
  Repeat these steps, making upside-down V's next to and in front of each other until you have a collection of them all in a group. The cards resting flat across the tops create a flat surface on which you can create more upside-down V's, starting the process again, one level higher.
- 6
  
  Narrow the tower as you get higher up. With each new level, create fewer upside-down V's so your tower gets slimmer toward the top.