Small Holes

If the hole is small from screws or nails, you do not need to do any patching at all. All you need is to apply a thin coat of spackle. Use a thin putty knife and apply the spackle to the wall. Get a small amount of spackle on the knife and by holding it with an angle and gentle pressure, press the spackle to the wall, and slide the knife slowly until the hole is filled. If the hole is not filled in on the first pass of the knife, repeat this procedure. After the spackle dries, gently sand smooth and paint to match wall.

Medium Holes

For a medium size hole there are drywall repair kits available. The kit contains a metal or nylon mesh to stick to the wall around the hole. You then apply spackle to cover the hole and the mesh. You can also push crumpled newspaper through the hole to fill the gap. Make sure the paper is recessed from the wall opening and leaves enough room to fill with the spackle. You might have to apply spackle a few times to fill the hole, level with the wall. After the spackle is dry, gently sand smooth and level with the wall and paint.

Large Holes

If the whole is large, you might need to patch the opening with a new piece of drywall. Cut a piece of drywall for the patch a little larger than the existing hole. While holding the patch against the wall, scribe around the edge to be able to cut away the wall opening to match the patch. You can apply drywall tape inside the hole opening to hold the patch. Another trick is to attach a narrow piece of wooden on the inside of the wall. You insert the wood and while holding it in place use drywall screws through the wall and the wood. Then place the patch into the opening and with the use of drywall screws, attach the patch to the wood. Then apply a thin coat of spackle to the edges of the patch and to cover the heads of the screws. Then apply drywall tape over the edges and reapply another thin coat of spackle. After the spackle is completely dry, sand smooth and paint.

To make sure the paint will match the existing wall color, it is best to bring a piece of the existing wall that was removed to the paint store. They will be able to match the color.