Stephen Ablett - Stretchy Bands

Stretchy Bands are large hair ties, similar to elastic band. They pack small and play big, are great for teaching in workshops and offer a different selection of effects to elastic bands. This video teaches 26 different visual tricks which includes mentalism, penetrations, vanishes, games, restorations and more. They are just as much fun to perform as they are to watch. Check out the unedited, uncut, no camera trickery trailer that shows just a few of the effects.

Disc 1 - The Effects

1. Y Knot
One band is locked within the other and around a the spectators finger. You wave and suddenly the two bands change places, while still tied around their finger.

2. Great Escape
Both bands are wrapped and secured around the spectators finger. They choose a colour and you make that band penetrate right through their finger.

3. Wrist To Wrist
Both bands are wrapped around your wrist. The spectator places their hand through the loops and upon their command, the bands penetrate your wrist and wrap around theirs.

4. Band through Anything
You place both hands behind the spectators arm and upon the count of three, it suddenly penetrates their arm to appear on top. This technique can be used for band through neck and any other object.

5. Dan Harlan Linking Bands
Both bands are stretched out between the fingers and the spectator grabs the two centre strands. When they let go, the bands are linked together. They stretch the centre strands again and suddenly they unlink.

6. Visual Link
The two bands are held in one hand, and upon tapping each other, they appear to link. They are then held cleanly by one strand showing them locked together before magically coming apart.

7. Through all Fingers
The band is wrapped around all four fingers, and yet upon your command, it instantly penetrates all of them at the same time.

8. Finger by Finger
A band is wrapped around each finger separately super securing them all in place. But still, you are able to make the band pass through each finger one at a time.

9. Noughts & Crosses
A band is wrapped around a finger and thumb. You show that if you release your finger it will either lock or come of your thumb. You then show the same happens to the finger. If the spectator can guess which side will lock, they will win the prize. Yet they never win.

10. Finger Prediction
You wrap the band around one of the fingers and the spectator calls out any number. You count across the fingers to that number, which ends on your prediction.

11. Swings & Circles
You chain both bands together and tie a know at the bottom. You are then able to use telekinesis to move the knot either in circles or to swing in a desired direction. Then the spectator tries this and to their astonishment it works for them as well.

12. Jumping Band
You triple wrap a band around two fingers and use the second band to lock all four fingers apart preventing any trickery. Yet with a little shake, the band suddenly jumps onto the other two fingers.

13. Transpo Band
You triple wrap a band around two fingers, and the other band around the next two fingers. With a little shake, they both change places.

14. Torn & Restored Band
You take a band and snap it in half. Yet with a bit of magic, you magically restore it.

15. Palm to Palm
The band is wrapped around your palm and you get the spectator to hold their palm to your palm. It then jumps from your hand to their hand.

16. Band through their wrist
The band is doubled over and wrapped around the spectators wrist. You grab one of the strands and pull and it penetrates through and off their wrists. (T&R Band Method)

17. Knuckle to Knuckle
You wrap the band around a knuckle and close your hand into a fist locking it in. Yet with a simple tug it jumps to the adjacent finger. You do this for three times between all the fingers.

18. Thru the Finger
The band is wrapped around the base of the finger. You give a simple tug and it seems to pass right through.

19. Band thru Thumb
You tie a band around your thumb and allow the spectator to hold onto the end of the thumb to stop it escaping. Yet at your command, it penetrates the thumb.

20. Snap of finger
You place a band around a finger and hold it out upwards facing them. You pull the ends and it appears to pass through the finger.

21. Vanishing Band
One or Both bands are wrapped around your wrist. The spectator chooses a colour and with a quick shake, the band vanishes from your wrist.

22. Locked Hand Test
The spectator stretches out a band between both wrists. Another spectator does the same within their band locking them together. They find it impossible to escape without removing the band from one of the hands, until you show them the secret.

23. Thumb Tie
You lock your thumbs into the band and tie each thumb securely. It would take about 15 seconds to release and tie yourself again, but you can do it instantly.

24. Bands through the magicians wrist
You make one or both bands suddenly penetrate off your wrist.

25. Finger Jump
The string is tied around your middle finger, and you show that and the first finger together. With a little shake the string jumps to your first finger, and then back again.

26. Band through Spectators Finger
The band is wrapped around their finger, and trapped there. But at your command, it can pass through their finger.

Disc 2 - The Routines

Featuring the two favorite sets of stretchy band tricks, as performed by two professional magicians at walk-around gigs. These are the tricks we have chosen to present to our audiences to offer a varied selection of effects, to create a full routine.