Magic tricks using boxes: recommended illusions for parties and performances
This is a collection of magic trick ideas that use various kinds of boxes.
We’ll introduce a range of tricks: some where you can make your own gimmicks using candy boxes or tissue boxes, and others you can perform with technique using items like playing card boxes or matchboxes.
It’s great for finding tricks to perform as entertainment, and the gimmick-making projects seem fun to tackle with small children, too.
Please use it as a reference, and if you find a trick that looks interesting, give it a try!
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Magic tricks using boxes: Recommended tricks for parties and performances (11–20)
The spectator’s signed card goes into the case.
Amaze your audience with a magic trick using a card case! Have a spectator choose a card and sign it, then return it to the deck.
Next, give the case a shake and the signed card should appear on top of the deck…
but it doesn’t.
The audience will probably think, “Did it fail?”—but in fact, the signed card is inside the case! This trick delivers a big surprise with simple moves, and the real charm is how you can add all kinds of variations depending on your ideas.
The ball placed in the box disappears.
An ordinary white square box, with nothing but a round hole in the lid.
If you drop a ball into that hole, it should go into the box, right? But in this magic trick, when you look inside the box next, the ball that should be there has disappeared! The trick is actually very simple: the bottom of the box is designed to flap and create a hollow space.
If you lightly press from the back with your finger, the bottom overlaps with the side, so when you put the ball in, the bottom is effectively open.
Then you just slide the box to drop the ball under the table, and before showing the inside, you restore the bottom to its original position.
That’s all there is to it.
Rotating Head Illusion
An illusion where a woman’s face inside a box spins around together with the box.
It’s exactly the kind of magic trick that captivates an audience.
The secret is actually super simple: she just moves her head left and right to match the shifting hole.
You can even do it with a single cardboard box, so give it a try.
It’s a classic crowd-pleaser for party entertainment!
A toy appeared from the tissues taken out of the box.
A magic trick where you pull one, two, three tissues from a box, crumple them up in front of you, and a figure appears from inside.
It’s a bit sizable, so it doesn’t look like it was hidden in the palm of the hand.
In fact, this trick is hiding in plain sight: the figure is simply placed on top of the box, behind the tissues.
As you pull out the tissue, the next sheet covers it nicely.
When you take the third tissue, you grab the figure at the same time and, as you crumple the tissues, you wrap it together in a way that keeps it out of view.
Reveal the figure through a gap in the tissues and it’s perfect.
It’s easy, so it’s recommended for beginners.
A magic box that makes whatever you put in disappear
It’s a magic trick where you close a drawer that has something inside, and when you open it again, the contents that should have been there have vanished.
In fact, the drawer has a double structure, and a hidden switch changes whether the inner box moves or not.
The pre-assembly of the box is crucial above all; aim for a smooth motion so the audience doesn’t notice the switching.
If you jostle the box, the sound of the contents hidden in the inner box can give it away, so it’s important to be careful about how you handle the drawer.
The magic where the box moves
It’s like having superpowers! Let me share an idea for a magic trick where a box moves on its own.
When a box glides smoothly, anyone would be amazed, right? This time, let’s try a trick that feels just like telekinesis.
What you’ll need: an empty candy box, fishing line, scissors, double-sided tape, and a safety pin.
After you set up the gimmick, practice performing so the secret isn’t visible.
If your movements are smooth and natural, you’ll surely be able to showcase a trick that astonishes your audience!
Magic with boxes: Recommended tricks for parties and performances (21–30)
A magic trick where a cube transforms into a ball
This is a magic trick where a square cube turns into a ball when placed in a box.
Try this trick to enjoy the visual surprise of the cube suddenly disappearing once it’s inside the box.
Prepare a box sized to fit the cube and a ball.
The secret is to pre-load the ball inside the cube; when you slide it inside the box, only the ball comes out.
By making the cube to match the box’s size, you can convincingly show that there’s nothing inside the box.
It’s a great trick for beginners who will be curious to learn where the cube actually disappeared to.
