Silly / Absurd

#99 · Magic trick wand

Produce it from behind someone's ear with a flourish, say "ta-da!", and expect applause. Works best on audiences under five.

A close-up magician's wand is a short black rod with white tips. A chopstick painted to match is indistinguishable at the distance an audience actually sits, and costs roughly nothing to replace when it inevitably vanishes for real.

How to do it

1. Paint the middle two thirds matte black.
2. Paint both ends white, keeping the line crisp - masking tape helps.
3. Let it dry fully. Tacky paint and sleight of hand do not mix.

Why it works

A wand's real function is misdirection. It gives the audience somewhere obvious to look while the actual method happens somewhere else, and it gives the magician a reason to move a hand that would otherwise look suspicious moving. The white tips exist purely to draw the eye to the end of the wand and away from the palm.

Tips & warnings

• The wand is not the trick, and no amount of paint will make it one. Practise the moves.
• Tapping an object with a wand is a licence to touch it. That is most of what it buys you.
• Wrap in metallic paper for a more classical stage look.