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Easy Paper Magic Trick |

Wednesday, 06 January 2010
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sing an ordinary paper napkin and a packet of sweetener, you let the
spectators discover one of magic's 'most carefully guarded secrets'.
EFFECT: You begin by laying out a single layer of a paper cocktail
napkin, and gently sprinkling an even layer of sweetener over the top
of it.
Carefully rub the sweetener into the napkin with your fingers, before
turning it over to repeat the process on the other side. As you are
doing this, your hands appear to be completely empty. After finishing
this process, write the word "Money" across the paper napkin, then
crumble it into a tight ball. Curiosity grows, as you caution the
spectators to never discuss what is taking place, and to never, ever
try this at home (after all, you are a trained professional, and can't
be responsible for their personal safety...). A cigarette lighter is
removed from your pocket, lit and briefly touched to the napkin, which
is tossed towards an ashtray. In a brilliant burst of fire, the paper
visibly transforms itself into a crumbled up bill, which is then
unfolded, revealed to be money and placed into the magician's wallet)
COMMENTS: In the past I would always bring the flash paper out
as if it were some 'special' paper that only magicians had access to.
Recently, however, I've added the bit about creating the paper out of a
regular napkin and sweetener, and it goes over great! As you'd expect,
it is just within the bonds of possibility, so people actually believe
you are doing exactly what you say you are doing. They never suspect
the switch, and in some cases, they try to repeat the effect of
creating the flashpaper for the next several weeks! This sort of thing
becomes a conversation piece and mini-fire hazard every time that group
goes out for a few drinks, which can be an important step towards
becoming a permanent memory, and it requires a lot less effort than
many more complicated effects. PROCEDURES. This incredibly memorable effect will probably be the least demanding in your repertoire. You will, of course, need a piece of flash paper that is large enough to cover a bill that is crumbled into a tight ball. In crumbling the bill into a tight ball, try to do it in such a way that the edges of the bill are rolled inward, this will prevent the burning flash paper from catching the bill on fire. Once the bill is in a tight ball, wrap the flash paper around it, and place it into your left coat pocket. An ink pen or magic marker is also in the left pocket, and the lighter is in your right coat pocket. The presentation should be such that it seems you are letting them in on something rarely seen, so as to arouse interest and curiosity. 1 sometimes say this is one trick that more magicians do backstage than on the stage itself, so this is an unusual peek at one of the magicians methods - as opposed to one of their effects. The whole idea is to make the event seem more like a special treat than just another trick.
The size of the napkin you use should correspond to the size of the
balled up flash paper, so either use a cocktail napkin, or tear off a
piece of napkin that would be about the right size. Then borrow a
packet of Sweet n Low, Equal, or similar type of sugar substitute and
begin to spread it evenly along the top side of the napkin, before
carefully rubbing it in. Turn the napkin over and repeat.
However, I suggest that you don't use the entire contents of the
packet, so that anyone curious might be able to examine the contents
later. (Don't call attention to the remaining portion, however.) The
left hand then goes into the pocket and removes the pen, then write the
word "Money" on the napkin. As the left hand replaces the pen to the
pocket, fingerpalm the flash paper in the naturally curled hand. At the
same time, the right hand is crumbling the napkin into a tight ball.
The right hand then apparently places the crumbled up napkin into the
left hand, which seems to continue to crumble the napkin into a tighter
ball. Try to make it appear as if the napkin is never fully dosed into
the left hand, so it seems to have never left their sight. The right
hand continues by pulling the ashtray closer to you, before going to
the right coat pocket to remove the cigarette lighter. Striking the lighter, ignite the flash paper as you drop it into the ash tray. Their curiosity is such that they will be looking at the burst of fire with wide-eyed bewilderment. For a moment, they'll be 'as blinded as a deer caught in the headlights of a car'! But when their vision returns, it will seem as if the sweetener simply burned off the napkin as it transformed itself into a rolled up bill. Poke the bill a couple of times to make certain the flash is completely gone, before unrolling it, and then placing it into your wallet. Article Source: http://www.ArticleBlast.com |
David Hertz is a magic tricks enthusiast. Want to learn how to do paper magic tricks, visit www.magictrickscenter.com
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