Double Walled Bag Vanish Trick
The Double Walled Bag Vanish makes use of a magic prop that can be easily created out of common household items.

The Effect
The magician produces a paper bag and reaches in to retrieve a banana skin. Stating that this was his lunch bag he has a bit of a problem. The banana had gone bad in the paper bag - apparently they make bananas ripen very fast and now the skin is starting to smell. Tossing the banana skin back in the bag, he produces his magic wand, waves it over the bag and declares the skin has vanished. To prove his power, he then rips open the bag to show that it has, indeed, disappeared.

The Secret
The bag provides the means for making the banana skin disappear.

Materials
A banana skin and a specially prepared double walled bag are required.

Preparation
The double walled bag must be created in advance (instructions below) and the banana skin placed in the open, “normal” part of the bag. At this point the trick is ready to perform.

Performing the Trick

The Double Walled Bag Vanish can be done any time the magician needs to make an object disappear, as long as it can fit in the secret compartment of the bag. The effect above is just one example of the many different tricks that can be done with the Double Walled Bag.

Constructing the Bag

Any size paper bag can be used for this effect. The size mainly depends on what the magician is planning to make disappear. For the purpose of this article a lunch bag is used. Two bags, scissors and glue are required.

  1. magician opens the brown bag One bag should be opened and cut roughly in half vertically. Near the bottom the cut should be made at an angle as shown in the photograph. 20px break
  2. magician applues glue to bag edges magician slides cut out into bag Then second bag should be opened. Glue is then applied to the edges of the sides and bottom of the cut out from the first bag. The cut out is slid into the second bag and glued in place. This forms a secret pocket that is imperceptible from a short distance away. 20px break

The Vanish

  1. magician puts object into secret compartment The vanish is performed by putting the object in question into the secret pocket of the bag, while making it look like it is going into the main part of the bag. 20px break
  2. magician tears bag to show banana skin has vanished To show that the item has vanished, the magician grips the bag with the secret compartment closest to him. His hand should come over the top of the bag and grip the top of the secret compartment. At this point his other hand should rip the front of the bag open, showing that it is “empty.” 20px break
  3. The bag may now be crumpled up and tossed away, along with the object in the secret pocket.

Magical Tip

When making the insert to create the secret pocket, it is advisable to trim the top slightly as well. This way if the bag is tipped slightly towards the audience they will not notice a tell tale shadow or space to give away the fact that the bag is gimmicked or different from a normal paper bag.