Magic Money Box
You will need:
• mirror card
• clear plastic box
• To make one, you need to get your finger tips on a clear plastic box. This one used to contain greetings cards. If you can't find one of those, anything similar will work - like a tissue box, although you'd need to cut one face off.
• Next you'll need three squares of mirror card. Make these by drawing round the side of the box and then cut them out.
• Stick the 3 squares of mirror card in the box like this - make sure the mirror is facing inwards, and don't leave any gaps.
• Then cover the box with some coloured card. Leave the front face clear.
• In the top, cut a slit that's big enough to put your coins through. Make sure there's room for the biggest type of coin.
• With a ruler, measure the diagonal of one side. Also measure the width.
• Then cut out another piece of mirror card to those measurements. It should be a rectangle.
• Reinforce this piece of mirror card with more card, so that it won't bend.
• Now draw a symmetrical shape - like this star - on a piece of card. The illusion looks best with symmetrical shapes. When they're reflected they look the same, and not back to front.
• Draw 3 identical patterns and then cut them out. You could add some extra detail to make them more colourful.
• Stick the shapes to the three bits of mirror card in the box.
• Then slide in the other piece of mirror card.
• The illusion now works - suddenly it looks like box has a pattern on the back as well as the bottom and sides. The mirror card looks like it's disappeared.
• So when you put your money into the top, it vanishes. Have a go at making one and see what a stash of coins you can get in the secret compartment.
