Make Magic--Easiest Card Trick Ever

The only sleight-of-hand required for this trick happens before you ever perform it... because you make it yourself, with your own two hands! Easy to make, and easy to perform.

You'll need the following list of supplies to build this card trick:

• 4 playing cards (two black number cards, one red queen, ace of spades)*
• ruler or straight edge
• Exacto knife... be careful!
• masking tape
• cutting mat

In Magic, a "gimmick" is the secret thing that makes a trick work and the audience never knows about it. For this trick your gimmick is a card with a secret flap that lets you turn the Queen of Hearts into the Ace of Spades.

To begin, tape the Queen onto a black number card at a slight angle.

Next, flip the two cards over so the backs are face up.

Use your straight edge and Exacto knife to trim the top and side of the Queen card so the edges line up with the other card. Be careful!

Flip the gimmick over and hinge open the flap so you can see the back of the cut card.

Use your straightedge to cut a large, triangular section from the bottom corner of the queen. The dimensions of this cut do not need to be exact.

The gimmick is almost complete!

Fold the flap back and cut a piece of masking tape that is roughly the length of the long edge of the flap. tape the back of the card to the front of the number card. Be sure to rub the tape so it adheres tightly to the cards.

Finally, turn the gimmick back over and remove the first piece of masking tape on the front of the card and the flap.

Your gimmicked is now finished!

Place the Ace of Spades underneath the flap and add the extra black number card to hide the Ace of Spades. It should look like you are holding three cards in a fan with the Queen of Hearts in the middle.

Show the audience three cards and ask them to remember the location of the Queen of Hearts.

"I have three card in my hand, no more, no less. The game is easy, find the queen. That's all there is to it. No more, no less"

Turn the cards over and ask them which is the queen. They will say the middle. Place that card (actually the Ace of Spades) on the table.

"When I turn the cards upside-down, sometimes people get confused because they all look the same. But do you remember where the red card is? The Queen? Very good, this one in the middle."

Turn the cards back over (FACING ONLY YOU!) and rearrange them so the top card is covering the flap. Show this to the audience so they can see there is no Queen.

"Excellent choice. That seems like a pretty good bet! Of course, I'd never recommend betting with a magician... especially if you think you've got an Ace in the hole. Chances are, that's exactly how they get you."

Turn over the card on the table to reveal the Queen has changed into the Ace of Spades.