Hide Popcorn Ceilings (5 Easy Ways To Cover Popcorn Ceilings)

Have popcorn ceilings that you hate but don’t want the mess of removing them?  These 5 ways to cover popcorn ceilings will help to hide the ugliness.

It seems that a lot of houses these days (my builder-grade home included) come with popcorn ceilings installed in pretty much every room.

I really hate popcorn ceilings!!

But trying to remove them is a messy job…and it doesn’t always give you the results you were hoping for.  

Friends of mine removed the popcorn from their ceilings only to find out that the drywall underneath was all wavy. I guess the installers figured they didn’t need to do a good job since it was going to get “popcorn-ed” anyhow.

So I have come to the conclusion that covering the ceiling is the route to go!

Keep reading to find my list of 5 ways to cover popcorn ceilings…hopefully at least one of them will help you “get rid” of your ugly ceiling, too.

1 | Plank The Ceiling

Cindy at edithandevelynvintage.com completely transformed this master bedroom by installing wood planks right over the top of the popcorn ceiling.

The wood looks beautiful and you would never be able to tell that underneath it all is some ugly popcorn.

If you want to see the step-by-step instructions on how to do this, click HERE.

2 | Put Up Faux Tin Ceiling Tiles

Faux-tin ceiling tiles* are one of my favorite ways to cover up popcorn ceilings.

They come with the patterns already embossed on them and are super-light.

Which means they are super-easy to install.

All you have to do is paint them (any color you want!) and glue them up there.

I’ve covered the ceilings in more than one room in my house with these and I love the way they look.

Not to mention that you can have the whole project done in less than a day. Bye-bye popcorn!

Click here to get the step-by-step instructions on how to install faux tin ceiling tiles.

3 | Cover The Popcorn With Fabric

Covering a ceiling with fabric is another DIY project that isn’t too hard to install, but does take a fair amount of fabric. Here are the high level steps to accomplish this look:

1. Sew panels of fabric together that make up the length and width of the room plus some extra (depending on how far down you want it to swag).

2. Sew curtain rod pockets around the 4 outside edges of the panel (just like the tops of curtains would have).

3. If you are installing over a light fixture like this room, you will need to cut a hole in the center of the fabric (and hem it) so that it can be installed around the light fixture.

Using a ceiling medallion around the light fixture will help cover the edges.

If you are not installing over a light fixture, the hole isn’t necessary, but you will probably still want some sort of medallion that will anchor the fabric in the middle of the room.

4. Install curtain rod brackets from the ceiling at the tops of each of the walls.

5. Push the fabric pockets over the curtain rods.

6. Install the curtain rods on the brackets.

7. Lift the fabric in the middle of the room and anchor it to the ceiling with your light fixture or medallion, making sure the fabric is centered in the room.

4 | Install Barn Board and Faux Wood Beams

If you like a more rustic look, try installing a barn board ceiling with DIY faux wood beams like Jenna from jennasuedesign.com did in her kitchen.

She has a great step-by-step tutorial that will show you exactly how to create this look…click here if you want to learn how.

5 | Paint A Pattern On The Ceiling

Painting a pattern on your ceiling doesn’t actually make the popcorn disappear…but it does provide a distraction.

You are so busy admiring the beautiful pattern on the ceiling that you don’t notice the popcorn.

I have done this successfully in a couple of the rooms in my house…the gingham ceiling in my master bathroom above was one of them.

This stripe and leaf pattern was another one.

Just make sure to use a flat paint, since any kind of gloss will just make those bumps stand out even more.

Well, those are my ways for covering ceilings.  

Hopefully, you have found some inspiration to get rid of your own popcorn ceiling the easy way.

Have comments, questions or other suggestions on how to cover popcorn ceilings? Tell us in the section below.

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