Prep the Wall

• 1). Strip the wallpaper (if applicable), sand down the wall and apply a stain-blocking sealer over any stains. Fill small holes and cracks with joint compound and sand it smooth. Tape out any unfinished seams.
  
  
• 2). Roll a coat of drywall primer over the entire wall.
  
  
• 3). Protect ceilings, adjacent walls, window and door trim and baseboards by applying 12-inch painter's tape along the adjoining edge. The tape will peel off easily later. Cover the floor with a nonslip drop cloth.
  
  

Apply the Base

• 1). Thin premixed joint compound with water in a 5-gallon bucket until it's the consistency of pancake batter. Blend it thoroughly to avoid lumps.
  
  
• 2). Pour the thinned compound into a paint roller pan and fit a large-nap roller on an extension pole.
  
  
• 3). Dip the roller into the thick liquid, and roll a thick, even coat of compound on the wall, starting in a top corner and working in 3-foot swaths across the wall.
  
  

Add Texture

• 1). Start applying the texture immediately after you've rolled on one 3-foot swath of joint compound. You'll need an assistant so one of you can roll on the compound while the other one follows behind, applying the texture.
  
  
• 2). Make swirls with a trowel, a whisk broom or even a wallpaper brush, overlapping semicircle patterns.
  
  
• 3). Create a knockdown texture by wiping the edge of a trowel lightly over the tips of the wet texture, flattening the tips and giving your wall a stucco-like effect.
  
  
• 4). Pat a crumpled rag or a sponge on the wall for a stippled texture.