The Online Magic Store Blog: Beginner Magic

A glass tumbler with a silver coin at the bottom

How to make a coin vanish under a glass

Make a coin vanish under a see-through glass with a paper circle and a cover. A step-by-step guide for beginners.

A ribbon spread of a deck face down across a dark wooden table

How to do the count-to-thirteen card trick

Learn a self-working card trick where the spectator deals the deck into piles that count up to thirteen, and you name a card you never touc…

A snowy window with a close-up mat and a deck of cards on the sill inside

Magic tricks for a snow day: a buyer’s guide

The best magic for a snow day at home: free self-working tricks and ebooks, plus trick decks, sponge props and beginner kits for the whole …

A pendulum hanging over an open palm

How to do the pendulum trick: the swing that reads your mind

Learn the pendulum trick, where a ring on a thread follows a volunteer’s thoughts, and the ideomotor science that explains why it moves.

A deck of cards sitting on the edge of a table with a pencil and notepad

How to do the down-under deal card trick

Learn the self-working down-under deal card trick, where a chosen card survives a simple “one down, one under” deal, and the maths behind i…

Red sponge balls on a green mat beside a closed hand

Magic tricks for parents to do with kids: a buyer’s guide

How to choose magic to learn and perform with your kids, from easy kits you can learn together to tricks that happen in their hands and fre…

A back-to-school desk with a beginner magic set and notebook

Magic tricks for scouts and youth clubs: a buyer’s guide

How to choose magic for a scout troop or youth club, with two beginner kits, free ebooks and self-working tricks a whole group can learn.

a copper coin and a silver coin side by side on dark wood

How to do the dime and penny trick

Learn the self-working dime and penny trick: a friend hides two coins, does a quick sum, and you know which hand holds the dime.

a vintage clock face with hands frozen, dark background

How to do the magic square trick

Build a 4×4 magic square for any number someone names, with every row, column and diagonal adding up, using one simple subtraction.

a rubber band stretched between two fingers, black background

How to do the pencil and buttonhole trick

Make the pencil and buttonhole puzzle with a pencil and string, then learn how to lock it onto a buttonhole and take it off again.

a coin held at the fingertips about to vanish, dark background

How to vanish a coin with a pencil

A two-part beginner routine: a pencil vanishes behind your ear, then the coin vanishes for real with the French drop.

a deck and a single face-up ace on a leather close-up pad

How to do the reversed card trick

Learn the reversed card trick with any deck: a chosen card turns face up in the pack, with an easy no-sleight method, history and common mi…

A coin pinched between thumb and forefinger at eye level

How to do the heads or tails prediction

Learn the heads or tails prediction: with your back turned, a spectator flips coins as often as they like, covers one, and you name whether…

A single card held between two fingers against a black background

How to make a card float

Learn how to make a card float under your palm with a ring and a toothpick, plus what it takes to make a card float freely in the air.

A magician’s desk at night with a lamp, a deck, coins and notes

How to do the vanishing salt shaker

Learn the vanishing salt shaker: you promise to push a coin through the table, but when you slam the napkin flat it is the salt shaker that…

A small wooden prop box with brass hinges, lid open

How to do the broken and restored toothpick

Learn the broken and restored toothpick: a spectator snaps a toothpick inside a handkerchief, yet it comes out whole, thanks to a second to…

A coin half hidden under a small leather pad

How to do the coin through a handkerchief

Learn the coin through a handkerchief: a borrowed coin seems to melt through the centre of a handkerchief, using one secret fold and no gim…

Three closed envelopes fanned on black velvet

How to do a domino prediction

Learn the domino prediction: seal a prediction, let a spectator link a full set of dominoes into one chain, and the two end numbers match w…

A blindfold and a notepad on a dark wooden table

How to do the magic number nine trick

Learn the magic number nine trick: a spectator hides one digit of a secret calculation and you name it, using a simple rule about multiples…

A chalkboard slate with blurred writing face down on a table

How to do the dice total prediction

Learn the dice total prediction: glance at a stack of three dice and name the total of the hidden faces, using the rule that opposite faces…

A pencil and a blank pad on a desk, a hand resting beside it

How to do the age cards mind-reading trick

Make and perform the age cards: a set of number cards that lets you name anyone’s age, using a simple binary secret you can learn in minute…

Three face-down cards in a row on a mat, the middle one slightly lifted

How to do the four burglars card trick

Learn the four burglars card trick: four jacks go into different parts of the deck and end up together on top. Setup, story, tips and histo…

A squared deck on a green close-up mat, top card slightly pushed off

How to do the princess card trick

Learn the princess card trick with an ordinary deck: someone thinks of a card, you pocket one, and theirs is gone. Setup, steps, tips and h…

A magic shop counter with props in glass cases

What to buy after your first magic kit: a buyer’s guide

What to buy after a first magic kit: how to choose one direction, two props worth the step up, and three free classic books.