This trick is a lesson in misdirection, the cornerstone of all magic tricks.

The illusion:

A plum magically appears in the palm of your hand.

Prep work:

1. Get a plum or other small piece of fruit that you can easily close both hands around without any of it poking through. As you become more adept at the trick, you can move up to larger fruit like, say, an apple or orange.

2. Put on a long-sleeve shirt.

3. Put the plum under your left armpit and use pressure from your upper arm to hold it there. It will feel unnatural, but won’t look as bad as it feels. Look in the mirror and make sure it’s well concealed.

The trick revealed:

1. Start the trick with the plum already hidden under your left armpit. Your audience would be able to see it if you were facing them head-on, so make sure your body is turned about 30 degrees to the left. (Your right shoulder should block the audience’s view of your left shoulder.) Present both of your hands to the audience to prove they’re empty.

2. Pull up your right shirt sleeve with your left hand to prove there’s nothing hidden inside. Really pull it up high—all the way to the elbow.

3. Do the same with your left sleeve, using your right hand. As your hand reaches your left elbow, curve your right palm into a cup, getting ready to catch the plum.

4. Release the plum under your arm, allowing it to fall into your right hand just as you raise your left sleeve to your elbow. This is the toughest part of the trick and will likely require some practice. (This is where distraction comes in—try telling a funny story or drawing the audience’s eyes toward your left palm. Anything to take the attention away from your armpit.)

5. Once you’ve palmed the plum, bring both hands forward and cup them together.

6. Pause for a moment to build suspense, and then open your hands to reveal that you are now indeed holding a plum. Bask in the audience’s effusive praise.