Make a Salt Shaker Disappear
You might have seen some magic or sleight of hand performed on TV or even in a restaurant. Would you like to know how to make a simple small object disappear so that you can impress friends and family? It takes some practice, but isn't that hard to do.
Steps
- Pick up some tiny object -- maybe a bottle cap or a match. This is your macguffin. You'll use it to distract your audience.
- Put your objects on the table in front of you and tell your friends you are going to make it disappear.
- Place the salt shaker on top of the macguffin.
- Pick up a paper napkin and shake it open with great elan.
- Cover the salt shaker with the paper napkin.
- Say some magic words and do some hokum with your hands.
- Use one hand to pick up the salt shaker along with the napkin. Draw the salt shaker/napkin over your lap and look down at the macguffin. Oops! It's still there!
- Put the salt shaker/napkin back down over the macguffin. By now the napkin has adopted the shape of the salt shaker.
- Do your hokum again and say some different magic words.
- Pick up the salt shaker/napkin again and draw it back over your lap while you look down at the macguffin. It's still there!
- This time, BEFORE you move the shaker/napkin back onto the table, loosen your grip on it just a tiny bit and the salt shaker will fall to your lap. Return the empty napkin shaped like a salt shaker to the table.
- Do your hokum one more time, and then dramatically smash the empty napkin onto the table. You've made the salt shaker disappear!
Tips
- Instead of slamming your hand on the table immediately, you could reach for the salt shaker with your other hand and put it under the table. Do it slowly to make it look like your just putting your hand under the table, Then slam your hand holding the napkin on the table. This makes it look like it went through the macguffin and solves the problem of hiding the salt shaker.
- Keep your eyes where you want your audience to look. If you look down at your lap they will get suspicious.
- Instead of a napkin, you could use regular paper because it tends to retain a shape easily.
- You'll have to discreetly hide the saltshaker behind you or your audience will catch on later as you get up to leave.
- Wear jeans the same color as the salt shaker. If you don't have the same colored jeans, paint or cover the salt shaker with paper the same color as your jeans.
Warnings
- Also make sure that your audience is positioned at such an angle from you that they will not see the shaker fall onto your lap.
- Make sure that the napkin or paper is stiff enough to retain the shape of the salt shaker.
Things You'll Need
- Salt shaker
- Table
- Audience
- Paper napkin
- MacGuffin
