How to Paint Clouds on a Ceiling
Michelangelo painted a ceiling and you can too! Here's how to create an airy, cloud-filled room. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Sponge Paintbrushes
- Blue And White House Paints
- Drop Cloths
- Paint Roller Pans
- Paint Rollers With Extension Pole
- Ladders
- Glow-in-the-dark Stars
- Inflatable Planet Mobiles
Instructions
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1
Remove or cover furniture and put down a drop cloth.
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Paint the ceiling blue and let it dry. See "How to Paint a Ceiling" for directions.
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Pour white paint into a roller tray.
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Holding a sponge flat, dip it into the paint.
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Dab the paint-filled sponge on the ceiling.
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Make clouds in a free-form shape. You may want to have some pictures of clouds on hand for reference.
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Use more paint in the center of the cloud, and less paint as you move out toward the edges.
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Leave some areas of blue showing through the white for a light, transparent look.
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Make clouds of different sizes.
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Cover the ceiling evenly, but randomly, with clouds.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep some of the blue ceiling paint on hand for covering mistakes and touching up.
After the painted clouds have dried, stick some glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling for a starry-night effect after dark.
Purchase a sky-themed ceiling fan or light fixture.
Hang stars, model airplanes or a planet mobile from the ceiling.
Have adequate ventilation while you are painting and while paint is drying.
Protect yourself from drips by wearing a cap or scarf and old clothes.
Use caution when working on a ladder. Make sure it is stable before climbing on.
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Comments
View all 12 Comments-
AbbyNormal
Mar 14, 2008
Use a tad of glow-in-the dark paint to shadow part of the clouds ....... this is too cool .... I did that in a friend's nursery! -
grouch
Dec 05, 2007
Thanks for all the tips. You could also use a spray gun to make the break line around the top of the room lighter and fade well into the next color. This is a great idea.
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Walkaboutangel
Dec 04, 2007
I love clouds on the ceiling, but have always been afraid to try it myself. You make it sound so easy... Angel
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Aug 29, 2006
After painting my daughters ceiling blue and with clouds, I bought a cheap home planetarium (Star Theater) from the Discovery Channel Store. I oriented it correctly (North) and turned it on in the darkened room. Then I just put glow in the dark paint on the dots on the ceiling. The effect looks more realistic since the constellations are recognizable.
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Nov 22, 2005
Always trying to find the easiest and quickest way, I used the white already on the ceiling as the clouds. Then I used wadded-up cheesecloth barely dipped in blue paint to sort of smear the sky in between the clouds. I made the edges of the clouds very filmy blue and brought clouds and sky down the walls in areas, too, because the sky just isn't directly above your head! I like the effect. Just remember, clouds are all sizes and shapes!
