How to Add Swirls to Drywall Ceilings

Divide the ceiling into sections that you can reach while standing on a ladder.

Transfer a quantity of premixed topping compound, also referred to as mud, from the container to a handheld trough. Climb the ladder and spread a thin coat of compound evenly over an entire section, using a 6-inch drywall blade. Run the blade lightly over the compound after you have covered the entire section to smooth it and knock down any bumps or ridges.

Hold a stiff brush at one corner of the section and rotate it through 180 degrees to make a circular pattern on the mud. Move the brush along a straight line a full brush-width away from the swirl and repeat the pattern. Continue along the line until you reach the end of the section. Go back to the beginning and make another row of swirls next to the first one in the same way. Continue until the section is complete, and then spread mud and create the swirl pattern on all the other sections of the ceiling.

Use a comb instead of a brush to get a swirl pattern with a higher relief. Break off some of the teeth to get a pattern with fewer lines, if you prefer.

Swirl the mud when you apply it with the drywall blade for a different type of swirl pattern with more texture and higher ridges. Rotate the knife through 180 degrees as you spread the first application of mud. When you spread the next one, rotate in the same direction to make a regular swirl pattern or in a different direction to create a random pattern.