How to Create Magical Illusions

The Melting Card Illusion

• 1

  Cut the bottom third off of one of the playing cards. Discard the rest of the card.

• 2

  Place a small amount of glue on the right side of the face of the card piece.

• 3

  Attach the card piece to the back of another card. Carefully line up the designs so that the attached card piece is virtually invisible on the back of the card. Allow glue to dry completely.

• 4

  Start the trick by laying out three cards, with the trick card on the far right. The card on the far left should be face up the others are face down.

• 5

  Pick up the trick card first, then place the other face-down card on top of it. Do not stack the cards directly on top of each other. The second card should be placed so that about a quarter of it overlaps the trick card. It should be positioned so that the top of the second card is about a 1/2-inch higher than the top of the trick card. Place the bottom edge of the second card underneath your thumb and hold down the loose end of the flap you created on the back of the trick card.

• 6

  Slide the face-up card underneath the top card so that it passes through the flap on the trick card, stopping when about a third of it is below the bottom edge of the trick card. Because the flap is concealed by the card on top of the trick card, and lined up properly with the design pattern on the bottom card, it will appear as though the face-up card is underneath both face down cards.

• 7

  Move the face-up card in small circular motions in the direction of the upper-left corner of the trick card. As it passes through the flap secured by the top card, it will appear as though the face-up card is melting through the bottom card.

Cut and Restored Magic Dollar Bill Illusion

• 8

  Lay both bills face down on a table. Apply a thing layer of rubber cement about a 1/2-inch-wide down the center of both bills. Allow cement to dry completely. Apply another layer of rubber cement on top of the previous layer. Allow second layer to dry completely.

• 9

  Sprinkle some baby powder onto the cemented areas and spread it evenly across the entire cemented area with your finger. This will prevent the bills from sticking together during the performance of the illusion.

• 10

  Start the illusion by showing the trick bills to the audience. Arrange them back to back, and line them up evenly with one another. Cut the bills down the center in the area you treated with the rubber cement and baby powder. Show the separate halves to the audience.

• 11

  Shake out each cut half in front of the audience. The cement will hold the halves creating the appearance of two complete bills, when in reality it is two halves of different bills stuck together by the cement.