Does anyone have any ideas that could help me texture my walls using plaster?

I am looking for light, not heavy texture. I want something to hide small flaws, but to look great. Something I can use for the whole house.Does anyone have any ideas that could help me texture my walls using plaster?
Just finished renting and using a texture machine -- good for orange peel texture and the like. Cost was about $80, plus the cost of materials. Clean up takes a good long time.





If you would rather just do it by hand, there are all sorts of finishes you can do. A faux Italian plaster is toweled on lightly in random directions (no more than 1/8th of an inch thick). You can put on one or two coats for the coverage and texture you want. You can also skim on joint compound and use a sponge to create an interesting texture. Or skim it on and use a special comb you can buy at a Home Improvement type place, using swirling strokes to create an interesting look.





Make sure your joint compound/plaster is not too thick -- a consistency of between cake and brownie batter is good.Does anyone have any ideas that could help me texture my walls using plaster?
If you use drywall mud add some water to it and then you can use a roller to put it on the walls then put your pattern in it.
I have used drywall mud and a small whiskbroom to texture ceiling and walls. Just spread mud on with large spatula and smooth it out evenly then take the whisk broom and start at the bottom and make a half circle making sure all bristle are touching the mud and then move to next spot and do again. It looks really nice when painted in whatever color you want and its easier to clean then popcorn effect or stippling effect!!
What I've done several times is use drywall mud. It's a cheap easy way to make mistakes or blemishes look amazing. In my kitchen I used a fairly wide drywall knife to spread the mud on. You can make it as rough or smooth as you wish. Then I painted it a mustard color and glazed with a rust-colored glaze. This is the poor-man's Venetian plaster!!!





Have fun with it. One tip, less is more. The mud, if applied too thick, will crack when drying. Some folks like that look. If you don't, just keep your layers on the thinner side.
You can do this several ways one is to purchase a drywall texture spray gun. It will allow you to choose the type of texture you like. You can also rent one of these at your local tool rental store.