How to Cover Drywall Seams in a Ceiling After Stippling

Spackle the seam between the two pieces of drywall and cover the seam with drywall tape. Run your spackle knife over the tape and spackle to embed the tape in the wet spackle. Scrape away any excess. Allow the surface of the wall to dry. Lightly sand the rough spots with medium 120-grit sandpaper.

Mix a little water with joint compound in a small bucket and stir until they are well-mixed. Dip a coarse sponge into the mixture and dab it on the wall. Mimic the stippling of the surrounding areas, trying different tools such as sponges, trowels, whiskbrooms, or a texture roller. For instance, if the surface looks like a roller was dragged through the plaster mixture, do the same with a paint roller. You will need to be creative and play with the spackle to try to make a close representation of the original finish.

Allow the wall to dry thoroughly. Add more layers of spackle until you are satisfied with the result, drying the wall between each layer.

Paint over the seam area with a latex interior primer using a roller. This will seal the surface of the plaster mixture. Use a color similar to your finished wall color.

Paint the wall after the primer dries with the same color and type of paint as the rest of the wall. Feather the edges of the area by dragging your roller lightly outward from the center of the seams. Allow the paint to dry according to the manufacturer’s directions.