what you need
* Clear (not colored) fishing line (sold at sporting goods stores)
* Scissors
* A dollar bill
* Tape
what you do
THE SETUP
1 Cut a piece of fishing line about 8 feet long.
2 Tape one end of the fishing line to the back of the dollar bill.
3 Find a good place to pull the prank. A sidewalk where you can hide behind some bushes or a fence is good, or a hallway where you can hide around a corner or in a doorway.
PULL THE PRANK
1 Place the dollar bill where people will walk by, then grab the other end of the line and go to your hiding place.
2 When someone reaches for the dollar, yank it away just before they touch it. If you yank just a little, you can get them to grab for it again before they realize they’ve taken your bait.
VERY IMPORTANT PRANKS
V.I.P.
The Driverless Car
More than 50 years ago, a creative young man named Quent Beecham reportedly rigged his family’s car so that it appeared to operate without a driver. Beecham was actually driving from the backseat. He attached reins to the steering wheel and used a long pole with a loop of wire on the end to work the gears. People in Yonkers, New York, where Beecham lived, were shocked to see the car pass by with no one at the wheel. Needless to say, this prank falls into the “Do Not Try This at Home” (or anywhere else, for that matter) category.
An amazingly fake self-driving car.
the prank
Watch your parents’ mood instantly darken when they arrive home to find one of these “official notices” hanging from the doorknob.
what you need
* A doorknob hanger (print the downloads for this prank found here: workman.com/ebookdownloads)
* Scissors
what you do
THE SETUP
1 Cut out the doorknob hangers that you’ve printed. Then carefully cut out the center circle (the part you’ll slip over the doorknob).
2 Choose which doorknob hanger you want to use and slip the hanger on the front doorknob when no one is watching.
PULL THE PRANK
1 Wait for the reactions when your parents find the hanger and read the bad news: When they start fuming, say something sympathetic like, “I’m all for recycling, but this is totally insane!” or, “What?! We can’t use the toilet for an entire day?!”
VERY IMPORTANT PRANKS
V.I.P.
Loony Laws
It’s surprisingly easy to convince people that prank laws are real. In 1965 a newspaper in Denmark reported that the Danish parliament had passed a law requiring all dogs to be painted white. The purpose of the law was to allow motorists to see dogs more easily at night. And in 1993 a radio station in Cologne, Germany, announced a new law that said joggers in city parks could run no faster than six miles per hour. Anyone who ran faster would inconvenience the park’s squirrels, which were in the middle of their mating season, the station reported.
No need to paint this guy!
the prank
By age five, most people have figured out how to drink a soda without spilling it all over themselves. You can undo all that progress by making a simple adjustment to your victim’s soda can. It’s best to use a can of seltzer or club soda or a clear, nonsugary soda for this prank. Otherwise, you might end up having to pay your victim’s dry-cleaning bill.
BEWARE!
This prank may cause a mess. Be prepared to clean Up!
what you need
* 2 cans of seltzer
* 1 pushpin
what you do
THE SETUP
1 Use the pushpin to poke a tiny hole in the side of one can about three-quarters of an inch from the top, on the side where the tab opens.
PULL THE PRANK
1 Offer your victim a drink, and then hand him the trick can to open. Sip calmly from your own can and try not to crack up when your victim dribbles soda all over himself.
2 You can bolster your innocence and pester your victim by offering a napkin and saying, “Wow, you sure are making a mess! Do you need a sippy cup?”
VERY IMPORTANT PRANKS
V.I.P.
The Drink That Helps You Think
In 2005, Google announced a new drink called Google Gulp. It said the drink would make people better at searching the Internet by upping their intelligence. The website explained how the miracle beverage worked: The lip of the bottle contained a special scanner that instantly analyzed a person’s DNA or genetic code. A feature called “Auto Drink” delivered a customized mix of chemicals to the brain that made the organ work better and faster. Sound too good to be true? It was. Google Gulp was introduced on April 1 and was one of Google’s annual April Fools’ jokes. The fake product didn’t quench anyone’s thirst for knowledge, but it did satisfy the minimum daily requirement of pranks!
the prank
This fake bird poop looks just like the real thing. Make sure you wait for it to dry completely so it won’t make a stain. Then leave it on someone’s hat or jacket or on your parents’ car windshield and watch their feathers get ruffled.
what you need
* White puff paint (sold at craft stores)
* White glue (Elmer’s or a similar brand)
* Disposable plastic cup or bowl
* Plastic spoon
* Waxed paper
* Salt
* Pepper
EW! WARNING
This prank is pretty gross, so choose your victim wisely. Pick someone who laughs hysterically at fart jokes and other bathroom humor—not the crank who gives you a withering look of disgust.
what you do
THE SETUP
1 Mix equal parts of puff paint and glue together in the cup or bowl.
2 Pour a drop of the paint/glue mixture onto a piece of waxed paper. Try to get the shape of a bird dropping. If your victim is extremely gullible, you can make a very large bird dropping.
3 Take a pinch of salt in your fingers and scatter just a few grains on the paint. Do the same thing with the pepper. Don’t use too much!
4 When the paint is completely dry (it may take three or four days), use your fingernail to peel it off the waxed paper.
PULL THE PRANK
1 Put the dropping on a car windshield or anywhere else a bird might do its business. You might need to put a small piece of rolled-up tape on the bottom to make it stay put.
2 If you decided to make a very large bird dropping—or you leave lots of smaller ones—get really excited when your victim discovers the poopy gift, and say that you recently heard a news report about a new variety of pigeon in the area that produces record-setting amounts of turds.
the prank
Fake dog poop is a prank that never seems to grow old (unlike real dog poop). In fact, the S. S. Adams Company (see page 75) first started selling rubber dog doo more than 70 years ago and hasn’t stopped. You can make your own fake poop using the following recipe. Then leave a pile on the front stoop, the bathroom floor, or anyplace else where it will catch someone’s attention. You can also use your fake dog doo to make a delicious “new” candy called Minturds (see page 54), using the cutout label (print the download for Prank #21 found here: workman.com/ebookdownloads).
BEWARE!
This prank may cause a mess. Be prepared to clean Up!
what you need
* A bowl
* A tablespoon
* A mixing spoon
* 3 to 4 tablespoons peanut butter
* 4 tablespoons chocolate syrup
* 1 tablespoon flour
* Sugar (white or brown)
EW! WARNING
This prank is pretty gross, so choose your victim wisely. Pick someone who laughs hysterically at fart jokes and other bathroom humor—not the crank who gives you a withering look of disgust.
what you do
THE SETUP
1 In a bowl, mix the peanut butter and
the chocolate syrup together. Add more syrup if you need to until it’s the right shade of brown.
2 Gradually mix in the flour, adding small amounts until the mixture has the consistency of cookie dough.
3 Add a little sugar to give it texture.
4 Roll the mixture into pooplike logs.
PULL THE PRANK
1 Arrange the pieces of fake poop in a pile in the driveway, on top of your parents’ car, or wherever else you think it will get noticed. Use your imagination. But also use your common sense: It’s sticky stuff, so don’t put it where it will be hard to clean up, like on a rug or sofa—or your sister’s bed.
the prank
Do you have a gullible friend or sibling who can’t resist the allure of something new and exotic? Use the Minturds label to convince a friend that there is a brand-new, difficult-to-obtain candy made out of dog poop!
what you need
* Fake dog poop (see the recipe on page 53)
* Mint tin (Altoids or similar brand)
* “Minturds” label (print the download for this prank found here: workman.com/ebookdownloads)
* Scissors
* Tape or glue
EW! WARNING
This prank is pretty gross, so choose your victim wisely. Pick someone who laughs hysterically at fart jokes and other bathroom humor—not the crank who gives you a withering look of disgust.
what you do
THE SETUP
1 Make some fake dog poop using the recipe on page 53. Mold the fake poop into the shape of little candies.
2 Remove the mints from the tin and save them to eat later.
3 Carefully cut out the prank label for Minturds that you’ve printed. Tape or glue it to the top of the container. Arrange your edible poop candies inside, and you’re ready.
PULL THE PRANK
1 Walk up to a friend and ask if she would like to try some new candies. Display the cover of the tin and then open it. Tell your victim, “Minturds are a delicious new candy made from imported turds.”
2 When your friend acts completely grossed out, pop one of the candies in your mouth and say, “Yum. So good!”
the prank
When the Whoopee Cushion was invented in 1930 (see page 59), it added a whole new dimension to the ordinary act of sitting down. Since then, other flatulence-producing devices have been invented, including a remote-control version that Johnny Depp reportedly used on the set of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides every time Penélope Cruz went in for a close-up. You can add to your arsenal of pranks by making your own hand-operated fart machine.
what you need
* 1 large paper clip
* Pliers (optional)
* 2 medium-size rubber bands or hair elastics
* 1 keychain ring or 1-inch metal washer (available at hardware stores)
* A paperback book
what you do:
THE SETUP
1 Carefully unbend the paper clip until it forms a C shape.
2 Ask an adult to help you bend each end so it makes a 90-degree angle about 1 inch from the end. You can use your hands, but it’s easier if you use pliers.
3 Now bend the ends back the other way to form little u-shaped hooks.
4 Pass each rubber band through the keychain ring or washer.
5 Hook the rubber bands over the bent ends of the paper clip.
6 Now wind up the washer until the rubber bands are twisted tight.
7 Practice using the fart machine until you get the best possible sound. Sit on a sofa or another cushioned seat and place the machine on a paperback book with your hand over it. You’ll need to keep your hand pressed down to hold the wound-up washer in place. Lift your hand slightly so the washer starts flipping. Adjust how high you lift your hand to get the most authentic-sounding fart. You can also experiment with different sized washers to get lower- or higher-pitched sounds.
PULL THE PRANK
1 Use your fart machine when you’re hanging out with friends or family. Wind up the machine and hide it in your hand before you enter the room. Bring a paperback book with you, and casually set it down beside you. Place the hand with the fart machine facedown on the pad.
2 Wait for a pause in the conversation and lift your hand slightly when you’re ready to let it rip. Look at someone in the room or just away from your hand so you don’t seem connected to the sound.
3 When people look in your direction or start laughing, there are several ways you can react. Here are a few examples:
* Act embarrassed and exclaim, “Excuse me!” Then leave the room with the machine hidden in your hand. Wind it up, return to the room, and “fart” again. Use your judgment as to how many times to repeat this.
* Look at the person next to you and say, “Whoa! What did you eat for lunch, dude?!”
* Act completely oblivious, as if nothing happened. Then leave the room, rewind your machine, and repeat.
Whoopee!
For the Whoopee Cushion!
Sometimes the best ideas for pranks happen when you’re not even trying. The trick is to keep your mind open to the possibilities around you. That’s what the workers at a rubber company did in 1930, and the results were explosive. Employees at the JEM Rubber Company in Toronto, Canada, were playing around with leftover pieces of rubber one day when they accidentally produced a sound much like a fart. The workers had so much fun playing with the homemade prank that the company decided to bring the idea to S. S. Adams, the pioneering manufacturer of gags and practical jokes (see page 75). Adams turned his nose up at the idea because he thought it was “indelicate,” but he probably kicked himself later. Another company, Johnson Smith, took a chance on the rubber device. They called it a Whoopee Cushion and said it gave forth “noises that can be better imagined than described.” It was music to the ears of delighted pranksters across the country. Sales took off—and they’re still powerful to this day.
Scientist Trevor Cox tries out his giant whoopee cushion.
the prank
Making this trick box takes some work, but once you get it right, you can use it again and again to fool people into thinking you found a “dead” finger. This prank is pretty gross, so choose your victim carefully. Do it on a friend or a grown-up with a good sense of humor and a strong stomach. In other words, don’t try it on your baby sister who’s afraid of kittens.
what you need
* A small cardboard jewelry box with a piece of cotton in the bottom and a lid (ask your mother or sister if she has one she doesn’t need)
* Scissors
* Ketchup
what you do
THE SETUP
1 Ask an adult to help you cut a hole in the bottom of the box, almost in the center, but a little closer to one end. The hole should be just big enough for your middle finger or index finger to fit through.
2 Have the same adult help you cut a similar hole in the piece of cotton. When you put the cotton back in the box, the two holes should line up so you can stick your finger straight through both of them.
3 Hold the box in the palm of one hand and poke your middle finger or index finger through the hole. Then bend the finger so it lies down on the little bed of cotton. Use the other fingers of that hand to hold the edges of the box.
4 With your “dead” finger resting on the piece of cotton, use your other hand to put a little bit of ketchup on the cotton near your finger. You can put some on the finger, too, but don’t overdo it. A little looks real, a lot looks fake.
5 Now put the lid on the box, and you’re ready to go.
PULL THE PRANK
1 With the trick box in your hand, walk up to your victim. Before showing the finger, tell a good story about how you got it. For instance, you could explain that your uncle was born with an extra finger and recently had to have it amputated. The doctor gave him the finger after surgery, and you borrowed it for the day.
2 Then ask if your friend would like to see it. Remove the lid and hold the box out for your friend to se
e. If you want to freak him out even more, let him stare at it for a while. Then move the “dead” finger ever so slightly.
the prank
Breakfast cereal, like petroleum jelly, is just one of those things that inspires pranks. There are the classic tricks, like switching the contents of two different boxes of cereal, or replacing the cereal in one box with rice or pasta or plastic bugs. This cereal prank is a bit flakier—actually, a lot flakier—since you’ll convince your victim to check every flake in the box for the “winning” piece. It’s guaranteed to make your victim switch to eating toast in the morning.
what you need
* Scissors
* A box of your victim’s favorite cereal
* Several bowls or one large bowl
* “Win $1,000” insert (print the download for this prank found here: workman.com/ebookdownloads)
what you do
THE SETUP
1 Carefully cut out the “Win $1,000” insert that you’ve printed.
2 In the morning, before breakfast, sneak the insert into a box of your victim’s preferred cereal.
PULL THE PRANK
1 When your victim pours a bowl of cereal and the paper falls out, play dumb but act curious. Ask him to read the paper out loud. It will instruct him to look for a flake with the winning number “7” printed on it to win $1,000. Then say, “Wow, cool! Let’s see if you won!” That should get your victim to start sifting through the cereal, looking for the numbered piece. Bring out extra bowls so your victim can fill each one and search the whole box of cereal.
2 When your victim gets to the end of the box, act sympathetic: “Too bad, I guess you didn’t get a box with the winning piece. You should get Mom or Dad to buy more.” If you want to be really sneaky, say, “Maybe you should check again. You might have missed it.”
Pranklopedia Page 4