1
general::
Cause trouble, as in Don't listen to her gossip? she's just trying to make mischief. This idiom was first recorded in 1884, but the related noun mischief-maker, a person who causes trouble especially by talebearing, dates from about 1700.
American Heritage Idioms
2
general::
Phrase(s): make mischief
to cause trouble. • Bob loves to make mischief and get other people into trouble. • Don’t believe what Mary says. She’s just trying to make mischief.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs