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Thursday, October 21, 2010

Bill Roll magic........

You will not impress anyone by
pulling out a bag or a roll of coins to
pay a bill. But you get instant
attention if you pull your dollar bills
off a thick roll!
You just need some currency that looks new, rubber cement ("the magician's friend!") and some pieces of paper that you cut to the same width as the money.
You start to assemble your roll of bills by gluing the edges of the pieces of ordinary paper with any glue that dries clear to make a continuous strip. You use these in the center so that your "money roll" looks fairly thick and more impressive.
Then you apply rubber cement to the very edge of your first note and press it against the end of your roll of paper pieces. Do this in turn with each note. Let the cement on each note dry completely before you put the next in place so that they do not all stick together in a lump when you roll them up.The rubber cement should ensure that you can remove the notes easily when you need to.

Scarf Juggling magic.........

This is real juggling but even the
clumsiest of us (that's me) can do it
in a fairly short time.
You need 3 colorful, thin nylon squares to start. Hold one in one hand and two in the other. Toss one of those two a couple of feet in the air and then toss the single square from your other hand directly across to the hand that launched the first square upward.
Now you catch the falling square with your empty hand.
Continue with this sequence for a few seconds, then try some variations or even add a fourth square to the mix. It is fairly easy to keep the squares jumping and to catch them because the squares float a little. You don't have to be as polished or nimble as the experienced jugglers who use balls, clubs and even axes.
Keep your routine short until you have worked out some variations that make it more entertaining for your audience. A short routine like this needs a surprise finish. One that works well is to have another square with a small high-bounce ball sewn into it. Make sure that this square matches the color of at least one of the regular squares you use in your routine.
To finish, gather the squares together in one hand, then pick out the one with the ball with your other hand and wipe your forehead with it. "Accidentally" drop the square and your audience will be surprised to see the square fall, but then bounce back up so that you can catch it!

Ball and Umbrella Juggling...

Ball and Umbrella Juggling
This is one of the
easiest ways to juggle
that you could find.
That's because it's "cod"
or false juggling.
You need to do a little practice so that you don't have to think what to do next and you don't do anything so obviously unreal that people know you have tricked them, even if they can't work out how.Find a medium-sized umbrella, a table tennis ball and some strong thread that is the same color as the cloth on your umbrella (a dark color is best). Tie and then glue one end of the thread to the point of the umbrella. Make a small hole in the table tennis ball. Push the loose end of the thread inside it and glue the thread in.
Show everyone the umbrella and the ball that you put carefully on top of the open umbrella near the center. The ball will not fall very far because of the thread but you do not let your audience suspect that the ball and umbrella are connected.
That's why you need to practice the routine in advance.
Use your other hand to spin the umbrella by its handle. You pretend that you are balancing the ball on the umbrella fabric as it spins. The thread gives you an advantage. You will, after some practice, be able to give a short, interesting routine that looks like really skillful juggling!

Tightrope Balancing Ball

Effect: A two or three-foot rope is held tightly between the performer’s hands. The performer proceeds to balance a ball on the rope and mystically the ball rolls from one end of the rope to the other.

Secret: A thin piece of black thread almost as long as the rope is used to build a track for the ball to roll on. Tie both ends of the thread near the ends of the rope leaving just a little slack. Facing the audience, hold the rope tight with both hands at opposite ends, the thread should be behind the rope. Insert your thumbs between the rope and the thread to spread them apart from each other, this is what creates the secret track. Now your ping-pong ball or hollow billiard ball can be rolled back and forth on a single piece of rope. This can be effectively used in a billiards routine or a rope routine.

The Runaway Knot..............

Effect: The performer takes a piece of rope and allows the spectator to cut it in two. The two ends of the rope are then tied together, and then held up. The magician slides the knot down the length of the rope, and makes it vanish. Secret: Take a three or four foot piece of rope and tie the ends together to form a loop. Start by holding the rope in your right hand, laying the knot of the loop across your face up palm. Take your left hand, palm face down, and place your hand into the backside of the loop and grab the other half of the rope with your left hand. Bring your hands together and lay the other piece of rope in your right hand, twisting your hands back to their natural position. This should cross the strings twice forming a small lock, immediately cover this lock with your right hand as you are bringing your hands together. Hold the rope with your left hand a few inches away from your right, and ask a spectator to cut the rope in between your hands. Covering the lock with your right hand still, it looks like two pieces of rope of the same size, hanging side by side. Now tie the two loose ends hanging from the top of your hand together without revealing the hidden lock, this knot can now be slid up and down the rope. Slide the knot off the rope to finish.

The Classic Rope Trick....

Effect: The performer cuts a rope into two equal pieces with a pair of scissors, and ties the ends back together with a small knot. The rope is quickly restored to its original state and the knot vanishes.Secret: This should be done with a three or four-foot rope, preferably a thin soft white rope. Hold the first end of the rope (A) under your thumb allowing the end to barely protrude in your left hand, palm facing you. Grab the other end of the rope (D) with your right hand and place it in between your first and second fingertips in your left hand. Place your right hand fingers under the bottom of the loop at the middle of the rope and bring it straight up to your left hand, lifting the rope with it. Just before you bring the loop up to your left palm, use your first finger and thumb to grab the rope behind your palm a half inch away from the first end (A). Bring this piece of rope through the big loop, and place the resulting smaller loop under your thumb between the two ends of the rope. Cut the fake loop making two new ends (B, C) and apparently two equal lengths of rope to the spectators. You actually have one real short piece on the left and one piece on the right almost the length of the original, both locked together by a loop behind your left hand. Drop both of the two ends of the longer  rope (B, D) on the right side of your hand nearest your fingertips, hold the ends of the short rope (A,B) keeping the secret loop still hidden with your left hand. Close the last three fingers of your left hand into a fist around the rope, and tie the ends of the shorter rope (A, B)together around the longer piece and drop one end. Holding one end of the rope now with your left hand, announce that you have restored the rope and wait for the laughs and haggling. Take the rope with your right hand, holding it by the knot, and wrap it around your left hand allowing the knot to slide off the rope as you do. If this step is done fairly fast no one will realize you are removing the fake knot. Reach into your pocket for some magic wizard dust, drop the fake knot into your pocket, and sprinkle the dust over the rope. Unwind the rope and hand it out for examination.

Color-Changing String

Effect: A white shoestring is held up for everyone to see, the magician passes his closed fist down the string, instantly changing it from white to black. The shoestring is then handed out for examination. Secret: Two shoelaces are used in this performance, a black shoestring and a hollow white shoelace. Cut a small opening in the white shoelace and thread the black shoestring through the hole, so that the black lace is completely covered by the white lace. Hold up the lace with your right hand covering the hole in the white lace. Using your left hand, slide the white lace down while holding the black string with your right hand. The black string can be glued into the white shoelace for convenience, but for a better effect don't glue it so that the white shoelace can be hidden and the black shoestring can be examined.