This little beauty, known as "Karakuri Byobu" or "Obi Karakuri" (and if you fancy a bit of a geek out, it’s a type of flexagon), is a delightful piece of paper wizardry that creates mind-boggling effects by making holes in a paper mechanism that brings images to life or morphs them into something else entirely. Crafted from just three sheets of paper, this prop is as easy to handle as a pint on a Friday night, letting you whip up a series of magical transformations that’ll leave everyone scratching their heads. Sure, it’s easy enough to perform, but don’t expect me to explain it in a tweet!
Effect: The magician takes a cheeky little packet of cards from the deck, gives them a shuffle worthy of a Vegas show, and divides them into two piles while asking a spectator to stop him whenever they fancy. The top cards on each pile become the spectators’ selections—one's the Eight of Hearts, and the other the Queen of Hearts (but shhh, the magician's in the dark about this). Each spectator has a gander at their card and memorises it (no peeking, mind!). The magician then pulls out a piece of paper adorned with red and white squares, featuring heart-shaped holes all over it. After a grand reveal of both sides of this mysterious paper, he claims it can divine the cards they’re thinking of. He folds it, showcasing two hearts, and asks, "Is that your card?" to the first spectator. "No," they reply. The magician refolds the paper, revealing four hearts, and again holds it out, asking, "That’s your card, the Four of Hearts?" "No," says the spectator. "Alright, one last go! What was it again?" They respond, "The Eight of Hearts." With a snap, the magician opens the paper to unveil an Eight of Hearts. Abracadabra, it vanishes quicker than your last takeaway! Turning to the second spectator, he asks for her card; she says "Queen of Hearts." A quick fold, a snap, and voila—the Queen of Hearts magically appears on the paper. In a flash, he opens it fully and shows both sides—the Queen has vanished, leaving the paper just as it was at the start.
*English instructions are available for download from the URL printed in the Japanese instructions.
