Torn And Restored Card Trick

Effect: A card ( which can even be a signed card ) is torn into four pieces. The spectator puts a finger on the pieces and the pieces seem to magically restore themselves back into a whole card. !!!

Preparation: Before doing the magic trick, rip off one fourth of a playing card of  the same colour of suit as the one that you will be appearing to tear.

Start the trick with the card facing in front of you and fold it into fourths, creasing the card and then unravelling it.
Explain to your audience that doing this makes it easier to tear the card evenly.

Performance: Hold the card in front of you, facing the audience, the extra torn card piece should be pressed by your thumb onto the side of the card that is facing you. Rip down the upper middle of the card stopping at the centre. Now fold down the upper right corner and slide out the corner you ripped of earlier as the piece that was ripped of.

( This should look like you have ripped of the corner from the card - the audience cannot see that the real cornerr is still attached to the card and folded out of their view .)

Now put the torn piece behind the card again, being held in position with your thumb.

Fold what is now the lower right corner behind the card. As you are bending this piece back, slide the extra piece into view again, pretend to rip it off. Place it behind the card and fold the card in half again.

( really it is still together )

Pretend to rip it in half again, but just slide the loose piece off the pile convincingly to look like it has ripped. Place the piece behind the card which is now folded up.

Now even though the card is not fully ripped, you should be able to show it at an angle so that it looks like a couple of pieces as well as the extra torn piece. Place the folded torn card and the actual torn piece on the table and using some misdirection i.e. eye contact or patter, steal the loose piece with your thumb and hide it in your hand..

Misdirect and place the loose piece in your pocket. Now, unfold the card and present it to your spectator making sure that your grip is concealing the ripped part and ask the spectator to examine the magically repaired card ( you always keep hold of the card ) and they should be convinced that it looks whole and has been restored and is now in one piece.

Take a bow, as the audience look completely baffled.