Trust me. You can do this. Granted, corners are tough, and a professional will be quicker, probably a little better, and maybe (but just maybe) cleaner. There are lots of self-help sources out there such as DIY books at the big box stores and web sites such as this, and you could try the nationalgypsum.com web site (they make drywall+). Regarding family, I always paid my friend or family help a good lunch and/or dinner, and a few beers or sodas when the day was done, along with a promise of help when they needed it. Worked great. Some of the most enjoyable memories of my life. Regarding the actual work, you'll need some tools: - 5-gallon bucket of water to clean tools, pre-wet tape, etc - 1.5", 3", 4", 6", 12" or similar selection of putty knives - a corner tool - Sanding pole with mesh-type sanding medium - Sanding sponge blocks (can be used wet to minimize dust) - 150 plus or minus grit sandpaper - a portable light to hold near the wall for final finishing - a shop vac to at least keep the floor clean The main trick is to avoid leaving excess mud that will need to be sanded. If you leave voids, or shallow spots/valleys, you can always go back over them when they dry and fill them in. Trowel off ridges and feather edges as much as you can. If the joint gap is wider than about 1/16", I prefill it with plain mud before applying the tape. If the joint is tight (or after prefill is dry) apply a 1/16" (minimum) layer of mud to the joint slightly wider than the tape. Pre-wet the tape and place it against the wet mud. With extra mud on the knife as a lubricant, press the tape evenly into the base mud. Again, don't leave any extra mud that will need sanding if you can avoid it. Let it dry, then apply another layer using a wider knife. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. A tool I use to minimize sanding after the first coat or two is a furniture scraper. You have to be careful not to tear the paper, but it doesn't seem to make as much dust. I'm sure I left out a trick or two, but the main point is that it ain't rocket science. It'll take time, and you'll get better as you go along. Try small patches first. Good luck

Hello Christine, >> Pretty easy fix for the tape: * Get a small tub of vinyl spackling compound or "joint cement". * Gently lift the tape, and put just a tiny bit of "mud" onto the wall with a narrow putty knife. A thin "see-thru" layer is fine. * Next, use a wider (4"-6") knife and spread an even layer on top of the tape to "set" the tape into the wall mud. Use LIGHT pressure at the wall-corner! Ya don't wanna tear into the corner tape. * Object here is to have a seamless application of mud over this tape area. After it's dry, LIGHTLY "feather-sand" your patch with a 220-grit sanding sponge. * Vacuum off the dust from area, prime (1 coat) and paint (2 coats!!). The most common is FLAT on ceilings...usually because people don't want sheen from lamps, etc. on a ceiling. However, Eggshell is a nice choice too. Very subtle sheen (depending on brand!!). TOOLS: Use the best brushes/roller-covers you can buy. * Get a nice stiff roller-frame...$5-$10 for a good one. * Buy/borrow a STIFF pole!! Painting overhead with a "bendy" pole/roller-frame is a PITA! * Use a 3/4" or maybe 1" nap for popcorn ceilings...3/8" or 1/2" for smooth surfaces. Enjoy! Faron

McFixit- It wouldn't be a problem if people kept on target, but I've been on these forums over 10 years and these long threads almost inevitably start veering as people piggyback their slightly different questions on them, get into arguments and/or start sniping, or post redundant info prefaced by: "I didn't have time to read the other posts because this thread is so long, but here's what I think." Frankly, most questions can be answered with several responses, and it's more efficient for me to look through those than wade through the swamp. Each to his own....

This is how I've done it. Caulked (and like many mentioned) and built it up with a few passes. Taped off the trim but not the very bottom edge of the trim. Painted the caulked wall AND the bottom of the trim. This is the easiest way to do it because even when you look at the most sparkly white trim the bottom always reflects the color of the wall and never looks white anyway so might as well paint it (I have light colored walls everywhere so this has minimal impact on overall look of the moulding). Also taping off the straight edge just above that trim edge is easy and easy to paint everything below and little to no risk of a mess. I'm done, forgot to take pictures.. maybe next time. Thanks everyone for participation and advice.