Here are two close up magic tricks that involve a plastic beaker. Both tricks are easy to perform and easy to prepare, yet provide a powerful effect that will entertain your spectators.

Trick 1: The Disappearing Beaker

You show the audience a tray with a small beaker on it. You cover the beaker with a napkin, take hold of the beaker and then remove the tray. Suddenly, you throw the napkin into the air and the beaker has vanished.

The Preparation

Take a small wooden tray and glue a small plastic beaker to the center of the tray. Next take a cloth napkin or a hankerchief and sew a small circle of cardboard (the same size as the top of the plastic beaker) into the center of the napkin/hankerchief.

The Secret

Show the beaker in the center of the tray, them cover it with the napkin so the cardboard circle is over the top of the beaker. As you lift the napkin, hold the cardboard disc in the napkin so that it looks as if you're holding the rim of the beaker. As you remove the napkin turn the tray with the beaker away from the audience and stand it against something behind your table.

Everyone will think that you still have the beaker in your hand. But when you throw the napkin in the air and catch it, they will know that it has vanished.

Trick 2: Beaker Through The Table

A small beaker is wrapped in a sheet of newspaper and then disappears only to reappear under the table.

The Preparation

Gather together a small beaker, a small object that will fit under the beaker and a sheet of newspaper. Make sure that the piece of newspaper is larger than the beaker so that it can be completely covered with extra to spare.

The Secret

Place the small object of interest on the edge of the table. Then place the beaker upside down over the object and finally wrap the newspaper around the beaker. Now ask the audience what is under the cup. This will lead them to believe that you are about to make the object disappear.

Next, lift the paper and the beaker to show the audience that the object is still on the table. As you lift the beaker, move it slowly towards you until it is just clear of the table.

Now let the beaker discreetly slip from the newspaper and land on your lap. The audience should have their attention fixed on the object, so this should be easy to achieve without them noticing.

The newspaper should hold its shape so that your spectators assume the beaker is still in your hand. Replace the paper over the object (still maintaining the shape of the beaker).

Say the magic words and say that the object will disappear. Lift the "beaker" and look puzzled that the object hasn't vanished. Pick up the object and replace the "beaker".

Tell your audience that you can't make the object disappear, so you'll have to try the beaker instead and promptly smash your hand containing the newspaper onto the surface of the table.

The newspaper will squash flat and the audience will gasp. Now you can claim that the beaker has passed through the table and prove it by bringing it out from your lap under the table.

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