How to perform a trick that moves pieces of wood into a recognizable shape.
Build Time: 10 minutes
The Moving Star or Toothpick Star is a nifty little wizard trick that commands water to move wood into a recognizable shape. With the wave of a straw, a spellcaster magically transforms five broken toothpicks into a five-pointed star! Perform this spell correctly and you’ll be the star of the class.
Supplies
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Tools
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Step 1
Locate five wooden toothpicks that are new and dry. Snap all five toothpicks exactly in half, into a V shape, but do not completely separate the two halves—leave them connected.
Step 2
Find a smooth, flat surface, like a plate. You can use the underside of the plate if the top is curved. Position the five toothpicks symmetrically on the surface so that the broken V edges almost touch in the center, as shown on the left.
Use a straw or eyedropper to pick up a little bit of water, then carefully place a few drops in the middle of the positioned toothpicks. The dry wood will absorb the water molecules, which will travel through the wood fibers via the process called capillary action. This action pulls the water to the ends of all the broken toothpicks.
Step 3
As the water is absorbed, you may need to add a few more drops, but be careful not to submerge the toothpicks. It can take seconds or several minutes, but when the toothpicks have fully absorbed enough water, they will begins to bend and move. As the bends in the wood straighten out, the toothpicks will shift into the shape of a five-pointed star.
Excerpted from John Austin’s Labcraft Wizards, currently in stores. © 2016 by John Austin. Used with permission from Chicago Review Press. All rights reserved.
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