Preparation

• 1). Cover the floor, any furniture that you can't move out of the room and the walls with plastic dropcloths. Seal the edges with masking tape. Painting popcorn ceilings, whether you roll or spray the color on the ceilings, can cause paint to splatter on everything that sits under the ceiling.
  
  
• 2). Sweep a feather duster across the surface of the ceiling to remove as much dust as possible.
  
  
• 3). Mix your flat, acrylic paint you chose for the ceiling with water. For every four parts of paint you add to your bucket, add one part of water if you plan to roll paint on popcorn ceilings. If you plan to spray paint on popcorn ceilings, add 1/2 qt. of water for each gallon of paint you use.
  
  

Roll Paint on a Popcorn Ceiling

• 1). Slide on a segmented foam roller. This type of roller helps you more thoroughly cover the coarse texture of popcorn ceilings in one pass.
  
  
• 2). Dip your roller in your paint, and then apply the paint. Paint in one direction, then stop and pull the paint roller down. If you roll paint in multiple directions on a popcorn ceiling, much like you do when you paint a wall, the popcorn could start to peel off. Wait for the first coat to dry before you add additional coats.
  
  
• 3). Repeat with as many coats as necessary until you're happy with the color of the ceiling. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly in between each coat.
  
  

Spray Paint on a Popcorn Ceiling

• 1). Add your thinned paint to the sprayer reservoir. Tighten the lid so the paint doesn't spill if the sprayer accidentally tips over.
  
  
• 2). Point the sprayer in the direction of your ceiling and pull the trigger. Paint will spray out of the sprayer and onto your popcorn ceiling.
  
  
• 3). Spray two coats of paint on your ceiling for the best results. Spray the first coat in one direction (horizontally) and the second coat in the opposite direction (vertically) to ensure complete coverage. Wait two hours after applying the first coat before you apply the second coat.