Joint compound and a putty knife are used to patch holes in drywall.
A hole in your wall might look like a disaster, but it is not. Most walls are made of drywall, also called wallboard and gypsum board. This material is easily patched using a few simple tools and materials available at any home improvement store. The job will take a couple of hours at most, not accounting for the time needed to allow the patch to dry.
Instructions
Patching Holes Up to 5 Inches
1. Cut a piece of wire screen 2 inches larger on each side than the hole. Use scissors. Tie a 12-inch piece of string to a short pencil. Thread the other end of the string through the middle of the screen (do not tie it to the screen).
2. Bend the wire screen and push the screen, the pencil, and the string through the hole, hanging on to the free end of the string. Pull the string tight. The wire screen should be held tightly against the hole with its edges extending beyond the hole behind the drywall.
3. Apply joint compound to the hole, starting at the edges and working toward the center. Use a putty knife to file in the entire area where drywall is missing. Hold on to the string so the wire screen remains firmly held against the inside of the hole. Tape the string to the wall when the hole is completely filled with joint compound. Let the joint compound dry.
4. Trim away the end of the string taped to the wall so it is flush with the patch. Apply a thin layer of joint compound to the patched hole, extending the joint compound out over the undamaged drywall. Feather the edges so the patch will blend into the undamaged drywall. Sand the patch using 120-grit sandpaper, primer, and paint.
Patching Holes 5 Inches to 8 Inches
5. Cut a scrap piece of drywall an inch larger than the hole you need to patch. To cut the drywall, mark with pencil where you want to cut. Using a utility knife and a straightedge, score the drywall about 1/8-inch deep. Snap the drywall at the score line, then cut through the paper backing on the other side with the utility knife.
6. Place the scrap drywall piece over the hole and trace along its edges with a pencil. Remove the scrap and using a keyhole, saw cut around the outline you just made by tracing the piece of scrap drywall. Fit the scrap piece of drywall into the new cutout. Trim the scrap with a utility knife if necessary, but keep in mind this should be a tight fit.
7. Apply joint compound to the edges of the patch and press it into place with your hands. Cut a piece of drywall tape a little longer than each side of the patch using the utility knife. Apply the drywall tape to each side of the patch overlapping the pieces of tape at the corners of the patch. Cover the tape with a thin layer of joint compound, feathering the edges of the patched area so it blends in with the undamaged drywall. Let the joint compound dry.
8. Sand the patch using 120-grit sandpaper, primer, and paint.
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