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 with boxes: Recommended tricks for parties and performances (21–30)
Magic where a ball goes into a glass
This is a magic trick where the positions of a glass and a ball inside a box change.
After placing the glass and the ball side by side and setting them in the box, cover the box with paper so it can’t be seen.
When you remove the cover, the ball is now inside the glass.
It looks as if the ball moved just by closing and opening the box.
The trick is to attach nylon fishing line to the ball and move the ball at the same moment you open the box.
Secure the end of the fishing line with something like a playing card and conceal it inside your clothing.
Practice while paying attention to the nylon’s movement that guides the ball into the glass.
Which of the three boxes has a seal/sticker on it?
We shuffle three boxes, with only one of them having a sticker, and have the audience guess which one is marked.
This used to be called the “moya-gaeshi,” and through shuffling techniques, the sticker is made to appear on a box different from where the audience expects it to be.
The key move is stacking two boxes: by incorporating a sliding motion of the top box into the shuffle, the performer secretly controls the sticker’s position.
It requires advanced technique, such as creating a brief, unnoticed moment while the hand covers the boxes so observers don’t catch on.
Coin Magic Box
It’s a magic trick where you put a paper coin into a box with a coin-sized hole, cover it with another box, and when you take it out, it has turned into a real coin.
The key lies in how the cardboard is layered around the hole: there are actually two holes side by side, concealed by the overlapping layers, and the cover box swaps which hole is in use.
Inside the cover box there’s a rod mechanism that slides the two-hole component back and forth.
Since the trick will be exposed if the inside of the cover box is seen, guide the audience’s attention toward the interior as you perform.
Gojinta Box
A red box taken out from inside a black box—just when you think it’s smaller than the black one, the black box ends up fitting inside it.
It’s a magic trick that makes it look as if the sizes have changed.
The two differently colored boxes are actually the same size, and the illusion of changing size comes from the sequence in which they’re combined, giving it a puzzle-like element.
Think carefully about the order in which you stack them so they fit perfectly, and about a routine that makes the effect look even more mysterious.
Some people might figure out the principle after watching for a while, so it’s best to perform it smoothly and quickly.
Magic where a Pocky box disappears
This is a magic trick where you place a Pocky box into a black box, cast a spell, and the Pocky box inside appears to vanish.
The Pocky box isn’t used as-is; it’s been prepared in advance, and the trick relies on how it looks with that preparation to create the illusion of disappearance.
Only the front surface of the box—the part you show—is used; the back is cut away and covered with the same black material as the outer black box that will later go over it.
The Pocky box is left as a recessed shape with just the front surface, so when you put it into the black box, it blends in and looks like it has disappeared.
Another key point is adding a rim around the opening of the black box so the sides of the Pocky box inside can’t be seen.
Matchbox Penetration
It’s a magic trick where you show a thin rod passing through a hole in the middle of a matchbox.
After removing the rod and opening the box, there appears to be a metal piece inside that seemingly couldn’t have been pierced by the rod.
The secret is that this metal piece is designed to split open to the sides when pulled with some force, and while the rod is inserted, it sits in the box with a gap in the center.
After removing the rod, during the moment you “examine” or show the box, you apply pressure to close the gap perfectly, making it look like a single solid sheet of metal was inside.
The trick falls apart if the seam of the metal is revealed, so be mindful of how you apply force and present it to keep that seam cleverly hidden.
Uncrushable Jagarico
It’s a magic trick where you put a Jagarico can into another box that’s shorter, close the lid, and although it seems like it must have been crushed, when you open the lid it’s kept its original shape.
In fact, the Jagarico can is cut in half, and inside there’s a spring-like mechanism made from a milk carton that changes the height when the lid presses down.
Choose a box that can fully hide the half of the Jagarico with the gimmick, and be mindful of the viewing angles as you perform.
If the spring’s rebound is too strong, it may pop out forcefully when you open the lid, so getting that balance right is also an important point.