Materials
Self-Adhesive Drywall Tape
Drywall compound
Trowel (bigger than the hole you're repairing)
SandpaperIn preparing my new townhome for move-in, I've had to learn some simple drywall repair techniques. There are a lot of ways to damage your drywall - a careless indoor putting session, an overzealous cable guy, or even some heavy-duty metal drywall anchors. This article is aimed at repairing small holes from 1" to 3" in diameter - its too big to just fill with spackle, but too small to need a sturdier patch. Its not as hard as it looks to fix!

Step 1
Make sure the hole to be repaired is clean, dry, and free of any dust or debris.

Step 2
Cover the hole securely with patching tape. You can also cover any hole with an pre-cut patch.

Step 3
Make sure that your trowel is larger than the damage you are trying to repair. If its smaller you will have a harder time filling the hole and getting a smooth finish. Build up some compound on the trowel and scrape it across the hole so that it leaves a thin layer covering everything. You may have to do this several times to get everything covered and get it all smooth. Its better to put too much on rather than too little - you can always sand it down later. Let it dry completely.

Step 4
Don't worry if your patch looks scraggly the first time around! Sand down the dry patching compound until it is smooth. If you are repaing an oddly shaped hole, or if the drywall shrank a bit while drying, you might need to repeat steps 3 and 4 a couple of times to get everything neat.

Step 5
Paint over the patch to match your wall color. Flat paint is best - it hides a multitude of drywall sins. A satin or a glossy paint will make your patch much more noticeable.