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How to Make Homemade Spy Equipment

Spies have secrets that are so important that they need to be hidden from the shifty eyes of crooks and counterspies. The perfect spy equipment for this is invisible ink. Sending secret messages to your fellow spies about your case, such as the subject's whereabouts and actions, are critical to the success of your mission.

You will be using only harmless items to make your ink, and there's probably everything you need already in your kitchen. You'll have lots of fun writing and receiving secret messages meant for the eyes of you and your friends only, and confounding the enemy or anyone who may intercept your communications.

Things You'll Need

Plain white paper Ordinary pen or pencil Toothpicks Lemon juice Candle

Instructions

- 1
  Use an ordinary pen or pencil to write a meaningless, nonsensical or misleading message on a plain sheet of white paper. This fake will confuse your adversaries should it fall into the wrong hands.
- 2
  Use a toothpick dipped in lemon juice to write your real message on the paper. You should add this secret writing in between the lines that you wrote with the ordinary pen or pencil. You also can use the margins of the paper if you want. When you're finished, only the person who is supposed to receive your letter will know that it contains a secret invisible message.
- 3
  Set the paper aside where it won't be disturbed while the lemon juice dries completely. As it dries, your message will become less visible. If your secret message is not quite as invisible as you want, add a little water to the lemon juice and try again.
- 4
  Ask an adult help you to light a candle, and hold the back side of the letter over the flame. Heat the paper, but don't let it become burnt. The carbon atoms in the lemon juice will begin to turn dark from the heat, exposing the invisible message so it can be read.

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