How to Do the Soda Can Magic Trick

Gigging the Materials

Color in the tab of the can. With black dry erase marker, color in the tab so that it appears to be opened. You want to give the illusion that the tab of the can has been opened. Any other easily removable ink is also a good choice. The black coloring on the tab will be wiped away as part of the act, so make sure the ink can be wiped away quickly and easily. Markers labeled with a "W" denote they are water washable, and will more easily be removed from the can. Paint pens are also widely available and can easily be removed, depending on when they were applied to the can.

Drain half of the soda. Using a tack, needle, or other pointed object, punch a small hole in the can. Drain the soda through the small hole until roughly half of the contents remain. The soda will naturally drain to below wherever you placed the hole, so make sure you place the hole high enough to properly pour out the can when performing the trick. If you place the hole too low, position the can such that the can does not leak when you get ready for the trick.

Crush in the sides of the can. Give the can a used, beat-up look by slightly crushing the sides of the can. Make sure you can crush the sides without soda draining out of the hole. Don’t crush the can too hard, as this can make restoring the can more difficult.

Plant the soda for the trick. Put the can somewhere that gives the appearance that it has been used and emptied. The trash bin is a good spot, but the recycling bin or simply laying around in a messy room is a good idea as well. Make sure to place the can down so that the remainder of the soda does not leak out through the hole you created. The soda should stay carbonated for a long period of time, provided the can is not jostled or moved too much prior to performance.

Performing the Trick to an Audience

Wait for the right time to grab the soda. You want to convince someone of the authenticity of the act you’re about to perform. Plant the can ahead of time and wait for the right moment to reach for the soda. Approaching a friend with the soda can in hand is less impressive! Try remarking: “Man, you thirsty? I could use something to drink.” Or say surprisingly: “I can’t believe someone threw away a perfectly good soda!”

Give the soda a shake. With your thumb over the hole you used to drain the can, shake the soda up. The pressure buildup will restore the sides of the can as if they had never been crushed. It will appear as though the soda can is refilling with liquid. Make sure your finger is firmly over the pinhole you created. If you've ever dropped a soda or shotgunned a beer, you know that the carbonated beverage will find any way possible to relieve pressure.

Wipe off the dry erase marker. Sell this as an act of “restoring” the can to its original state. Give it a little “magic” hand wave as you rub the ink away. Make sure your audience can see the can’s tab prior to and after the removal of the ink so they can witness your magic. This part isn’t strictly necessary, as you could simply open an already “opened” soda can. However, it will save you from getting a mouthful of ink.

Open the can of soda. Give the soda a nice long swig. You can also pour it into a cup to better show off the fact that you “magically” refilled the can with liquid. Make sure to pour out all of the soda so that you can remove your finger from the drainage hole. Depending on how much soda was drained from the can, you might have to deal with a little soda spillage due to the overflowing carbonation.