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How to Add the Sparkles Back to a Sparkle Popcorn Ceiling

Christina Sloane

Popcorn ceilings applied throughout the 1970s and ‘80s often included a coat of glitter to add sparkle and create the illusion of space and movement. Ceiling glitter naturally flakes off over time, especially if applied to frequently cleaned and vacuumed surfaces.

Use special ceiling glitter to restore shine to popcorn texture.

If you miss the cheerful retro aesthetic of a sparkly popcorn ceiling, you can apply more glitter with a glitter gun.

Warning

Wet the ceiling with oil-based paint or clear coat only. Water or latex paint may seep into the popcorn texture, causing it to flake off.

Apply glitter only after the last coat of paint or clear coat.

  1. Purchase ceiling glitter from a paint store. For a subtle effect, choose clear or white glitter. Colored glitter may look gaudy and is best reserved for children’s play rooms, if used at all. Do not use standard craft glitter, which will sink into paint, wear out quickly and make a mess.

  2. Vacuum the ceiling thoroughly, using a brush attachment to avoid scraping off any popcorn texture. Popcorn ceilings are notorious for trapping dust and dirt, both of which will prevent paint and clear coat adhesion.

  3. Apply oil-based paint or clear coat to the ceiling using a long-nap roller. If you are using paint, choose a color that matches the ceiling's original paint as it is difficult to completely cover a popcorn ceiling. If your ceiling already has a significant amount of glitter on it, choose clear coat since opaque paint looks unattractive when applied over pieces of glitter.

  4. Fill your gun with glitter and spray it evenly and sparingly over the wet ceiling.

The Drip Cap

  • Popcorn ceilings applied throughout the 1970s and ‘80s often included a coat of glitter to add sparkle and create the illusion of space and movement.
  • Vacuum the ceiling thoroughly, using a brush attachment to avoid scraping off any popcorn texture.
  • If your ceiling already has a significant amount of glitter on it, choose clear coat since opaque paint looks unattractive when applied over pieces of glitter.