The Online Magic Store Blog: How To

Two hands mid swing cut: the right hand holds the deck from above while the right index finger swings the top half into the left hand, backs up

How to do the swing cut

Learn the swing cut, a simple card flourish: the Biddle grip, five steps, and fixes for a jerky or messy swing.

A single hand at chest height mid one-handed cut of a deck of cards, the lower half pivoting up on the fingertips, backs up, on a black background

How to do a one-handed cut

Learn the Charlier cut, the classic one-handed cut, with the grip, the steps, fixes for common problems and tips for small hands.

A ribbon spread on a green mat caught mid-turnover, a wave of cards flipping from backs to faces along the line

How to do a ribbon spread turnover

Flip a whole spread of cards over in one wave: the surface, the lift, guiding the wave, turning it back and fixing a turnover that stops.

A deck spread in an even straight line across a green close-up mat, backs up, with one hand finishing the spread at the end

How to do a table spread

Spread a deck in a long, even line across the table, then add the turnover, with the grip, the motion and fixes for clumpy spreads.

Hands doing a Hindu shuffle, the right hand holding the deck by its ends from above while the left fingers draw small packets off the top into the left palm

How to do the Hindu shuffle

Learn the Hindu shuffle: how to hold the deck, draw small packets off the top, and why magicians use it to control, force and glimpse cards.

A small stack of silver coins beside a closed fist

How to do the paper fold coin vanish

Wrap a coin in paper, tear the paper up and the coin is gone: a step-by-step guide to the classic paper fold vanish.

A tarot-style draped table with a single candle and an envelope

How to do the calendar square trick

Know the total of any three-by-three square of dates on a calendar before your friend has finished adding, with one simple rule.

A single card face down under a brass coin on black velvet

How to do the Fitch Cheney five-card trick

A spectator picks five cards, your partner shows you four, and you name the fifth. How the Fitch Cheney five-card trick works, step by step.

A workbench with tools, card stock and a cutting mat

How to do the Afghan bands trick

Three paper loops, three cuts, three different results: how to make and perform the Afghan bands, the Möbius strip magic trick.

An open palm with a single coin in the centre, in hard side light

How to push a coin through a hole smaller than the coin

Cut a dime-sized hole in a card, then pass a quarter through it without tearing the paper. A simple coin challenge, step by step.

A hand practising in front of a small mirror on a desk

How to do the detachable thumb trick

Pull the top of your thumb clean off, slide it along your hand and put it back. The classic detachable thumb illusion, step by step.

A card box open on a table, deck half pulled out

How to do the spectator cuts the aces trick

Your spectator cuts the deck into four piles, deals a few cards and finds all four aces. A self-working card trick, step by step.

A hand closing around a coin, fingers curling

How to do the elbow coin vanish

Rub a coin into your elbow and make it vanish with a fake pass and a quiet drop down your collar. A step-by-step guide for beginners.

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 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…

a deck cut into two halves on a mat, both packets squared

How to do a two-card transposition

Learn a classic two-card transposition: two cards swap places, one of them under the spectator’s own hand, using the double lift.

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 pair of hands squaring a deck, soft rim light

How to do cards to pocket

Learn cards to pocket, the classic routine in which ten cards travel invisibly from your hand to your pocket one at a time.

a spotlight beam cutting through haze over an empty stage

How to do a card trick for a big audience

Learn a self-working card trick for a big audience: a cross-cut force and a large written prediction that everyone in the room can see.

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.