Plaster the Walls

• 1). Cut self-adhesive mesh drywall tape in strips long enough to cover every seam in the drywall panels. Do not overlap the tape where the vertical joints cross the horizontal joints.
  
  
• 2). Use a 6-inch taping trowel to smooth plaster into the seams between the drywall panels and over the depressions left behind by the screws. Use enough pressure to push the plaster through the holes in the mesh tape and into the joints.
  
  
• 3). Wipe away excess plaster while it's still wet with a 10-inch taping trowel. Repeat the plastering and wiping techniques until all the joints have one coat of plaster and tape.
  
  
• 4). Let the plaster dry completely, sand off rough spots with a drywall sander, and apply a second thin coat of plaster using the 10-inch taping trowel. Don't use any more tape.
  
  
• 5). Sand down the drywall panels when the last coat of plaster is completely dry and white in appearance.
  
  
• 6). Wipe residual drywall dust off sanded walls with a tack cloth.
  
  

Paint the Walls

• 1). Roll on an even coat of wall primer on the sanded drywall panels. Use a medium-nap paint roller and an extension pole to roll within a couple of inches of the ceiling and adjoining walls without bumping them. Brush on primer by hand around the top of the wall and the edges of the wall.
  
  
• 2). Apply a first coat of wall paint with a medium-nap roller, starting in top corner and working your way down and across the wall.
  
  
• 3). Vary the direction of your paint roller strokes for even coverage. Roll paint to within a couple of inches of the ceiling and wall edges.
  
  
• 4). Cut in with a brush or an edge-painting tool along the ceiling and the adjoining walls. If you have a steady hand, you can paint the top line by hand, but if you're shaky, use an edge-painting tool.
  
  
• 5). Let the first coat of paint dry and apply at least one more coat for the best results. Depending upon your paint, you may need another coat.