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How to Pass a Scarf Through Your Hand

To tantalize an audience, a magician often will stuff a brightly colored scarf into one end of his hand while pulling out a scarf of an entirely different color from the other end of his hand. While the color-changing scarf trick is a basic illusion, it does require practice to do it seamlessly. When performing this or any other illusion, the magician's challenge is to redirect the audience's attention -- create a distraction -- to prevent them from figuring out how the trick is done.

Things You'll Need

  • Mirror
  • 2 silk scarves, different colors
  • Finger gimmick (flesh-colored tube)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Stand in front of a mirror so that you can watch your movements and gauge your progression as you practice the trick.

    • 2

      Begin the trick with the finger gimmick attached to your middle finger and a colored scarf stuffed tightly in the tube. Silk scarves work well because they're lightweight and easily concealed.

    • 3

      Talk to the mirror as you would to an audience as you wave a different colored scarf around with your other hand. The goal is to make the audience look at the flowing scarf in the one hand so that they won't pay attention to your other hand. The tube should be concealed by keeping it in your slightly bent hand, with the back of your hand facing the audience.

    • 4

      Explain that you will make the magic scarf change colors. Run the scarf through your free hand several times, exchanging the tube from your finger into the other palm in the process. Hold up your balled-up hand and push a small amount of the flowing scarf into your palm between your pinkie and your palm. You will actually be shoving the scarf into the fake finger as you do this.

    • 5

      Pull a small amount of the different colored scarf out through the opposite side of your hand between your finger and thumb. This creates the illusion that the scarf you are pushing through your hand is changing color as it comes out the other side.

    • 6

      Push the first scarf into the pinkie and palm opening and pull out more of the other scarf between the thumb and pointer finger. Continue this until the entire first scarf is wrapped tightly in the finger gimmick while the second one is free.

    • 7

      Place your finger into the gimmick and open your hands to reveal that there's no hidden, second scarf. From a distance, the audience will not be able to notice the fake finger on your hand concealing the scarf because it will be hidden behind the back of your hand. Hold the second scarf high up in the air to direct the audience's attention to that scarf and quickly hide the finger gimmick or slip it into a pocket.

    • 8

      Open your balled-up hand to reveal that it's empty. Move quickly on to your next trick.

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