Magic tricks are a great way to liven up a party or family gathering.

If you want to learn some easy magic tricks to amuse your family and friends, here are a few to get you started.

Make a Wand Stick to Your Hand

Pass the magic wand around and let your audience examine it so they know it’s not rigged in any way. Take the wand back and hold it in your closed hand. Open your fist. Instead of falling to the floor, your wand magically clings to your hand.

How to do the Trick

1) Turn your fist so that the back of your hand faces the audience.

2) Taking your other hand, grip your wrist. While gripping your wrist, extend your index finger and hold the wand to your palm. This is done on your side of your hand, so the audience cannot see it.

3) When you open your fist, the wand clings to your hand because you’re holding it in place with your finger.

4) Wiggle your fingers for more effect.

5) Close your fist again, taking away your index finger.

6) Still holding your wrist (so it seems less suspicious), throw the wand into the air or even back at your audience.

Make a Wand Magically Appear

First you need to buy what’s called an appearing wand. It’s a plastic wand that starts off collapsed and condensed so that it can fit in the palm of your hand. When you activate it (usually by twisting it slightly and releasing it), the cane expands in both directions until it reaches its full length. One neat idea with the collapsed wand is to make a piece of silk or a handkerchief transform into a magic wand.

How to do the Trick

1) Palm the collapsed wand and hold a piece of silk between your thumb and forefinger. Make sure a bit of the silk is in contact with the collapsed wand.

2) Wave the silk around for show and activate the collapsed wand. As the wand expands to its full length, it will pull the silk inside it, giving the illusion that the silk has transformed into a wand.

Even though a collapsible wand is the easiest method, you may prefer not to give in to trick devices. Just keep your regular wand stored some place where you can easily get to it. Many magicians keep the wand up their sleeve or hide it in the breast of their blazer. Others stash it within another trick, then pull the wand out of its hiding place while directing the audience’s eyes elsewhere.

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Make a Magic Wand Go Through a Handkerchief

Place a handkerchief over your closed fist. Announce that you will push your magic wand through the handkerchief without tearing it. Make a small depression in the handkerchief with the wand just to get it started. Then ? in front of everyone ?  push the wand down deeper and deeper, right through the handkerchief. Once it’s all the way through, you take the handkerchief from your hand and hold it up. Your handkerchief is not torn!

How to do the Trick

1) Drape the handkerchief over your closed fist.

2) Press the magic wand into the handkerchief, making a depression which you may even show the audience if you like.

3) Separate your index finger and thumb just a bit, just so they don’t touch. This small hole is going to act as the trick’s trap door.

4) Turn your hand slightly so that the trap door is facing slightly upward.

5) Make several short jabs with the wand. This will look like you’re just pressing down on the cloth some more, making more of a depression. In actuality you’re getting the fabric out of the way of the small opening between your index finger and thumb.

6) When it’s time (the third or fourth downward motion) press the wand through the opening you’ve made until it hits your palm.

7) Turn your hand back toward its original location as you push the wand down. Close your index finger and thumb back together at this time. Continue to push the wand down.

The wand is actually behind the cloth where the audience can’t see it. The depression you made to start with hides this fact. All the audience sees is a handkerchief with a depression and the wand coming out the bottom of it.