Pick the stencils for your tropical theme. For example, toucans and vines, hummingbirds and birds of paradise, monkeys and palm trees or a simple border design of vines or flowers. Draw a plan for your tropical ceiling decoration.
Start from the middle of each side of the ceiling and mark the register marks of each stencil on the ceiling with a pencil. Use small pieces of painter's tape under each corner of the stencil to avoid having to erase the marks, if desired.
Put a drop cloth over furniture and the floor under the area where you're going to start painting, such as a corner of the room. Spray adhesive on a stencil, match the stencil with the pencil marks and apply it to the ceiling.
Use stencil paint and a stipple brush to paint the tropical design. Paint with a light touch to avoid paint bleeding under the stencil edges.
Move the ladder and drop cloth and apply the stencils to the next area. Paint the next area of the design for your tropical ceiling. Repeat, until you complete the decoration.