How to Texture Wall After Pulling Down Wallpaper

Prepare the project area. Remove all items from the room or cover them with plastic. Clean up all the wallpaper that has been removed. Lay a drop cloth onto the floor for additional protection. Apply one-inch painter's tape to the baseboards, window frames, door frames, crown molding as well as any additional surfaces which need protection from the wet plaster. Burnish the tape by rubbing your finger, an old credit card or a plastic putty knife onto the applied tape to form a solid bond.

Texturize the surface. Use a putty knife to apply a small amount of lightweight joint compound to a drywall trowel. Hold the trowel at a 45-degree-angle and wipe on the plaster to the wall. Move the trowel around to form pits, grooves and organic shapes on the wall. Ensure the plaster is no thicker than 1/4 inch. Remember only 80 percent of the surface needs to be covered---it's OK to leave small open areas and grooves in the plaster for added interest. Allow the plaster to dry for 24 hours.

Lightly sand the surface using medium-grit sandpaper. Rub the entire surface to remove any dry wall crumbles and flakes of loose plaster from the wall. Wipe the wall with a wet sponge to remove all drywall dust created and wait for the wall to dry before painting the wall.

Use a rough nap roller and apply latex paint to the textured surface. Apply light, even pressure to the wall. Roll the wall in large vertical strokes until the surface is covered. Understand the wall may need several coats for an opaque, even coverage. Use an old chip brush to apply paint into grooves that are difficult to reach with the roller. Roll the paint as close to the perimeter of the wall as possible.

Use a trim brush to add paint to the wall's edges. Use an old brush or even a chip brush because the textured surface may be difficult to paint and can ruin a new paintbrush. Dip the brush into paint and brush around the perimeter of the wall.

Remove all tape. Use a blade or carpenter's knife if the tape is well adhered under the plaster. Slowly pull the tape up. Touch up the edge of the surface where the tape was. Use a small artist's brush to add paint to any unpainted plaster.