A roundup of magic tricks perfect for one-shot gags. Become the hero of the party!
When you’re asked to do a party trick at a gathering, what kind of act do you perform?
There are lots of possibilities—from comedy bits like gags or impressions to more physical, street-performance-style acts like handstands.
In this article, we’ll introduce magic tricks that are perfect as quick party pieces.
Since these are one-off tricks, we’ve selected ones that are short and can be done using items you have around you.
Be sure to learn a few of these tricks and show them off at your next party!
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A roundup of magic tricks perfect for a quick gag. Become the hero of the party! (41–50)
Which ball is it?
It’s a magic trick where you put a ball under one of two paper cups, shuffle them, and the ball ends up in a different place than expected.
In fact, there’s a hole at the front of the paper cup, and during the shuffle you use it to move the ball to the other cup.
Because the ball briefly leaves the cup, it’s important to move it vertically so the audience doesn’t notice.
The fewer shuffles you do, the more mysterious it looks, so adjust that to heighten the surprise.
A roundup of magic tricks perfect for one-shot gags. Become the hero of the party! (51–60)
The right hand passes through the left hand
It’s a magic trick where you hold both hands open in front of you, and at the moment you clench the back hand, it looks as if the front hand passes through it.
The key is switching the shape of your hands exactly when you grab the back hand; at that timing, the front hand should clench and move forward while the back hand opens quickly.
If someone looks closely at the alignment of the hands, they can tell nothing actually passes through, so it’s important to create a brief moment of confusion with the grip and the speed.
Since the secret is that there’s no penetration or swapping, it seems like a routine you can try with various hand shapes.
Take the bottle out of the envelope
It’s a magic trick where, for some reason, a wine bottle or similar appears from a folded envelope.
All you need is an A4-size envelope and a bottle like wine or juice, or a cylindrical snack.
Fold the A4 envelope three times so that the side with the flap ends up on the inside.
Unfold it once, then make a slit with a utility knife along the central valley fold.
Fold the envelope back up.
Tuck the bottle into your belt or waistband and conceal it under a jacket—prep complete.
When you open the envelope, slip your hand inside, grab the hidden bottle behind your jacket through the slit you cut, and pull it up to make it look like it came out of the envelope.
With practice, anyone can pull this off in style!
Handkerchief magic: a knot that comes undone in an instant
It’s handy to have a magic trick you can perform on the spur of the moment during small bits of free time.
So here’s one to introduce: a handkerchief trick where a knot instantly comes undone.
You take an ordinary scarf and tie its ends tightly together, but with a slight tug it mysteriously unravels.
There’s no special gimmick—through the knotting method and your presentation, it looks like it’s tied very tightly.
That means you can even borrow a spectator’s handkerchief or use any other cloth to perform it.
It’s also a perfect lead-in to other handkerchief magic.
Bill change
A little feel-good magic trick where a 1,000-yen bill turns into a 10,000-yen bill! Prepare both bills in advance and put creases in each.
Keep the 10,000-yen bill folded small and hidden in your hand, then fold the 1,000-yen bill small and make the 10,000-yen bill appear.
Be careful so that the hidden 10,000-yen bill—and the 1,000-yen bill after you’ve made the 10,000-yen bill appear—can’t be seen by your audience.
Since you need to add creases beforehand, it’s basically better to use your own bills.
But if you’re good at folding neatly without pre-creases, try borrowing someone’s 1,000-yen bill and perform the trick!
A cigarette that changes direction when you put it in your mouth
A magic trick where, even though you’re sure you held the cigarette the right way round, it appears to flip the moment you put it in your mouth.
This trick needs a bit of preparation.
To make it clear which end is the mouth end, prepare a cigarette with a different color at the end you’ll hold in your mouth.
Once you have the cigarette, remove the tobacco inside.
Next, make a tube the same length and thickness as the cigarette.
Unroll the emptied cigarette paper, cut it lengthwise in half, and attach the halves to the tube you made.
When attaching them, place them so the mouth-end markings are reversed on the two halves.
Preparation complete! During the trick, rotate the cigarette with your fingers at the instant you put it in your mouth, making it look like the orientation has flipped the moment you bite down.
A toothpick-jumping magic trick
A mysterious magic trick where a toothpick seems to jump and move on its own, as if it were alive.
Prepare two toothpicks.
Hold one between the thumb, index finger, and middle finger of one hand.
Place the other toothpick on top, and you’re ready! After that, just move your right hand little by little in a natural way to make the toothpick on top move.
It takes a bit of technique to move the toothpick well, so try practicing while recording a video so the secret doesn’t get noticed by your audience!