Magic tricks with plastic bottles: a roundup of penetration and vanishing illusions
“I want to try magic, but so many card tricks and playing card magic are difficult…” If you feel that way, you’re not alone.
For you, we recommend magic using plastic bottles.
If you prepare in advance, many of these tricks can be done without difficult techniques.
In this article, we’ll introduce a range of magic tricks that use plastic bottles.
Even though they’re approachable, you’ll still need practice to make them look natural.
Once you’ve picked a trick you want to try, start practicing right away!
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Magic tricks using plastic bottles: a collection of penetration and vanishing tricks (21–30)
A straw placed on a plastic bottle moves on its own.
It’s a magic trick where, when you hold your hand over a straw placed on top of a plastic bottle, the straw slowly starts to move even though you’re not touching it.
The key is how you remove the straw: firmly pinch it and slide it out while rubbing it to build up static electricity.
After that, place it on top of the plastic bottle and bring your hand close— the static electricity will react and the straw will start to move.
If you rub it well with a tissue to build up even more static electricity, you can increase the rotation speed, so that’s recommended too.
A plastic bottle that changes orientation as it emerges from the box
It’s a magic trick where a plastic bottle placed inside a box appears to re-emerge facing the opposite direction.
It requires some advance setup: you insert a part that connects two spouts into the body part, and by pushing, you slide the spout to switch orientation.
I recommend wrapping the whole bottle with a dark, opaque label so the internal mechanism isn’t visible.
If you apply too much force during the sliding motion, it can look unnatural, so it’s important to focus on making the movement appear as natural as possible.
A rubber band penetrates a plastic bottle.
This is a magic trick where a rubber band, seemingly doubled and firmly wrapped around a plastic bottle, slips off in an instant as if it passed through the bottle.
The way you wrap the rubber band is set up so it can come off, so be mindful of wrapping it smoothly and presenting it in a way that doesn’t reveal the preparation in front.
Since the method involves having a small loop set on your thumb, it’s important to handle the bottle so the audience can see the whole bottle while keeping the hand that’s gripping it out of view.
To make the wrapping smoother, it’s recommended to choose a bottle that makes it easy to catch the rubber band.
Juice appears from inside the paper bag
I’ll introduce a magic trick where you cast a spell on a paper bag that produces nothing even when turned upside down, and juice comes out.
It’s a dreamy trick that kids are sure to love.
The secret is very simple: there’s a big hole on the back of the paper bag, and you’re just hiding the hand holding the juice there.
Even when you turn the bag upside down, only the bag moves, so the juice won’t spill.
Only when you take the juice out at the end do you place it on the bottom of the bag, so be sure to hold the bag in the middle at that moment.
Also, when you rotate the bag, mind your angles so the juice can’t be seen.
The label on a plastic bottle changes in an instant.
It’s a magic trick where, with a light shake of a plastic bottle, the label appears to change to a different color in an instant.
The key preparation is that the bottle has a double-wrapped label and a mechanism that lets you strip off the outer label.
Be mindful of how you display it so the reel connected to the label stays hidden, and make sure the rewind happens where the audience can’t see it.
The sound of the rewind is also a common giveaway, so it’s recommended to cover that noise with patter before and after the move.
A coin that fits inside a plastic bottle
This is a magic trick where you press a coin against an unopened plastic bottle and make it penetrate inside.
You proceed using a bottle that appears unopened by removing the cap with the ring, then attaching it to a bottle that already contains a coin and water.
The key is the position of the coin in the water: keep it along the bottom rim so refraction makes it invisible.
Then cover another coin with your hand and, while gradually changing the bottle’s angle, make the coin appear—trick complete.
To emphasize that the bottle is unopened, be sure to let the audience clearly see the step where you open the bottle.
A magic trick where a pencil pierces through a bottle
It’s a magic trick where you press a pencil against a cola plastic bottle and it appears to pierce through, yet no liquid leaks out.
The mystery comes from the fact that the pencil seems to go into the bottle at a not-so-fast speed without causing any noticeable effect.
The secret is that a straw, wide enough for the pencil to pass through, is pre-installed in the bottle, and it’s concealed by the label, the liquid inside, and the way the bottle is handled.
It might also be important to apply force to the pencil to make it look like it’s really penetrating the bottle.