Sponge Spellbound
What Sponge Spellbound Looks Like
You hold a single red sponge ball at your fingertips. With a quick brush of your hand, it turns green. You wave your hand again, and it’s red. You can keep changing the color back and forth as many times as you want, showing your hands empty throughout the process.
Why It Works
This routine takes a classic coin magic concept called "Spellbound" and applies it to sponge balls. Because sponge balls are soft, you can hide one in your palm while the other is visible. The secret is in the "flow." By moving the balls between different finger positions and clips, you create a continuous loop of changes that makes it look like you only ever have one ball.
What You’ll Learn
Xulio Merino teaches you a full sequence of five distinct color changes. You’ll learn how to transition from one move to the next without the audience seeing the "hidden" ball. He covers specific finger placements, like the Italian palm and the thumb clip, to keep everything secure and invisible.
If you’re worried about the moves being too difficult, Xulio includes a "plan B." He teaches a simpler version of the hardest move (the rolling change) so you can still perform the full routine while you're still practicing the advanced sleights. You'll learn not just how to do the moves, but how to angle your hands so you never "flash" the secret ball to your friends.
About Xulio Merino
Xulio is known as the "Shin Lim of Sponge Balls." He won 1st Prize in Close-Up Magic at Valongo and famously fooled Penn & Teller on their show Fool Us. He is a master at taking simple props and making them look like world-class manipulation.
What's Included
- The Italian Palm for hiding the second ball
- The Peacock Change (where you spread your fingers wide like a tail)
- The Deep Change and the Rolling False move
- How to use a Thumb Clip to switch colors mid-air
- A "beginner-friendly" alternative for the hardest move in the set
- Specific hand-tilting techniques to hide the ball from the front
Frequently Asked Questions
What props do I need?
You just need two sponge balls of different colors. Red and green work great, but any two high-contrast colors will do.
How much practice does this take?
The individual changes are simple, but putting them together into a smooth sequence takes a few days of practice. Xulio’s alternative "easy" move lets you get the routine down much faster.
Can I do this surrounded?
This is best for people standing directly in front of you. Xulio explains how to curve your hand and use your fingers to block the view from the sides.
Is this for beginners?
If you know the basics of holding a sponge ball, you can learn this. It’s a great way to move from simple "in the hand" tricks to visual manipulation.