How to Perform Pencil Tricks

Whether you want to impress your favorite niece, or are stuck in a boring meeting, doing pencil tricks is a good way of passing time. Some tricks are easy, while others are relatively hard to do. But with a little practice, you will be able to coordinate and twirl pencils with dexterity.

The Spin 

Take a long pencil and hold it carefully between your index finger, middle finger, and thumb. Make sure that your middle finger and index finger are at least an inch apart, and all the fingers are pointing upwards. You should grip the pencil very lightly with your middle finger, and also relax your wrist. Now, extend your index finger and fold your middle finger so that it is resting on the inside of its last joint exactly on the thumb. Move your index and middle finger in a back and forth motion and keep this momentum. At first it might be a little difficult to this pencil trick, but with a little practice you will be able to master it.

The Twist

Fold your hands and place them in front of you so that your fingers are pointing upwards. Now place a pencil horizontally in the webbed space between your thumbs and index fingers. Hold the pencil firmly in between your thumb and middle finger, turn the fingertips of your right hand away from your body and the fingertips of your left hand towards you. Now, move the right thumb in the space between the left thumb and index finger. As your hands turn, your right thumb will move across the back of your left thumb. Tilt your hands forward when the fingers of your left hand are pointing towards your body. The pencil will move to the starting position.

The Finger Roll 

First hold a pencil in between your index and middle finger with your palms facing down. The pencil should be completely vertical, with two-thirds below your hand. Now push your index finger down so that the pencil comes to an almost horizontal position, and then place your ring finger below the pencil to stabilize it. In this position it should look like the pencil is woven between your three fingers. Remove the index finger off the pencil and this will instantly make the pencil move back and forth between your middle finger and ring finger. Move your middle finger downwards towards your ring finger, looping your index finger back under the pencil so that it is in a horizontal position. Place your little finger on top of the pencil and let the other fingers slide off it. Hold the pencil again between your thumb and index finger and continue sliding and twisting the pencil.

The Flip 

This is one of the easiest tricks which can be mastered within a short time. For this trick, place your hands on a flat surface like a table, palms down. Without removing the palms from the table place your middle finger over your index finger. Now place a pencil on your middle finger and balance it. Flick the index finger outwards from below your middle finger, this will make the pencil rotate in a 180 degree angle above your hand.

All these tricks require that you hold the pencil with a loose grip and experiment with different angles to find the one that works best for you. Good luck!