Walls and Ceilings - How to Stucco (Cheaply)?

I was wondering if there is a cheap/inexpensive way to stucco walls/ceilings? I've seen many homes that were built in the 70s with what I believe are pseudo stucco walls (the white walls/ceilings that look a little like cottage cheese -- sorry for the poor description). Are these the inexpensive version of the Roman art, or "American stuccoed" walls? Or is this asbestos? Thanks for any thoughts on this topic.

You are probably referring to textured walls using joint compound. Pick up a sheet or two of drywall and a bucket of mud. (I prefer other mediums, but most use all purpose mud) Lay down a thin base coat approx. 1/8" thick on about 2' x 2' on the board. When it dries try applying the texture on the base coat. Try knives and trowels. Get to know how much mud you can use to get a feel for how much it shrinks, and at what point you put on too much and it cracks. Don't experiment on your walls. Get good at it, there's good money in it in certain areas. A lot of the books at lowes/home depot on interior decorating will have chapters on wall texturing. Take a look. Good Luck Don C.