I think what make me happiest about this project is that it is both simple to make and a great trick when used on unsuspecting friends and family.
First, I needed an old plastic gift card that could stay buried inside, indefinitely.
I wanted the card to float around inside so that when you shook it you could hear it rattling inside. A 3/8" clearance on 2 adjacent edges was perfect. I believe the depth was about 3/8" as well.
A challenge I faced when building this was how to make it look like it might come apart, when it doesn't. The inlay was easy enough to create with a 1/4" bit. I was going to get all fancy on the edges/corners of the inlay but kept it simple with easy peasy butt joints. A tiny gap here, a tiny gap there, goes a long way to give a hint that it might open.
With the inlay glued in, all that was left was to sand the inlay down flush with the main box. I did start with the belt sander to get it level but switched to the palm sander for the finer grits.
So how I used this....
I gave my teenage daughter this and said there was a gift card in it for her. I told her that it was a magic gift card holder and that if she could get it open that she could keep it. Of course she tried and tried but couldn't do it. After what felt like forever she brought it to me to show her. Now I had the real gift card in my back pocket the whole time just waiting for the reveal. With very little, if any, magic skills I was able to have the card already hidden in my palm and as she was passing it to me I was able to get the card under the gift card holder unseen. After a few well practiced hokey moves I blew into an imaginary hole in the corner and then did some hand wiggly thing where it looked like I was pulling two sections apart. With a swift and fluid movement I was able to pull my hands apart from the gift card holder while suddenly holding the gift card in my free hand. Now, for the illusion to hold fast I had to put the gift card holder in my pocket immediately and not let her have it, well right away anyways. If I gave it to her too soon she would know right away how the trick worked. She loved it and it turns out she has used on others to great success.
Anyone who wants to give one of these a go, please do, they are a blast!
Looks like a fun and magically delicious trick. Your lucky you didn’t give it to my daughter she would have quickly solved the problem, with a hammer. 8^}
