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 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.
The ball slips through and goes into the box.
This is a magic trick where you cover a transparent box with a handkerchief, secure it with rubber bands so it can’t open, and then place a ball on top—yet the ball mysteriously penetrates into the box even though it shouldn’t be able to open.
The key points are that the entire box is transparent and all faces are the same size.
You pretend to place the lid on the open side, but in reality you set the lid on a side face, creating an opening on the lateral side.
Then you put on the rubber bands; when you place the ball into the handkerchief, you turn the box sideways, set the ball on the opening, and use the pulling force of the handkerchief from left and right to push the ball inside.
To avoid being found out, keep the open face toward yourself when showing the box as you proceed.
A sword that passes through a box and a ring
It’s a magic trick where you put a ring into a small box and set it on a pedestal, then cover it with a larger box, and when you push a sword through, it appears to pierce both the box and the ring.
The key is the mechanism in the base: when the larger box is placed over it, a spring is triggered that lifts the small box containing the ring upward.
After that, you align the sword with the gap inside the covered box and pass it through the small box and ring, lowering it straight down to make it look as though it has gone clean through.
The spring that moves the box makes a slight sound when it locks into place, so it’s best to cover that with patter.