Prepare the Room

• 1). Remove as much furniture as possible from the room.
  
  
• 2). Cover the entire floor with good quality drop cloths. If you have to leave any furniture in place, cover it with light plastic.
  
  
• 3). Place masking paper around the base of light fixtures that are attached to the ceiling. Alternatively, remove them completely, if you know how to do this safely.
  
  
• 4). Place masking paper along the tops of door frames and window frames to protect them from paint drips.
  
  

Preparing the ceiling

• 1). Vacuum the ceiling to remove dust and grime, which could get caught in the fresh paint. Use the hard floor attachment and clean the edges with the dusting tool.
  
  
• 2). Wash the ceiling using a sponge mop and a solution of warm water and mild detergent. Dip the mop into the solution frequently and wring it out well, before applying it to the ceiling. Make sure the windows are open to speed up the drying process.
  
  
• 3). Fill any minor cracks with one of the quick-drying fillers available at home improvement stores.
  
  
• 4). Use glass paper to smooth off any areas where you have applied filler, once it is dry.
  
  

Painting the Ceiling

• 1). Pour a tiny amount of paint into a small paint container. These containers can be purchased at any home improvement store.
  
  
• 2). Dip a three-inch brush into this paint and slowly cut in around all four sides of the ceiling. "Cutting in" means to paint a strip about four inches wide---along the edge---where the ceiling meets the wall.
  
  
• 3). Use the brush to paint along the area where the flat section of the ceiling meets the sloped portion.
  
  
• 4). Paint a four-inch strip along both sides of the ceiling's apex.
  
  
• 5). Pour paint into a roller tray.
  
  
• 6). Load your roller with paint, and use the flat section of the tray to spread it evenly around the roller.
  
  
• 7). Paint the ceiling using a straight line pattern and overlapping each roller stroke by about six inches. Reload the roller as necessary.