4. Use a putty knife to apply spackling compound to The Hole. Make sure it is as smooth as possible. Reapply after the first spackling layer shrinks.
5. Allow the spackling to dry
6. Sand the area smooth
7. Prime and paint
8. If The Hole (or The Stud’s head) is larger, find the stud (not
The Stud!) that is closest to The Hole and use a knife or saw to cut
out a rectangle drywall around the area. Be sure to include half the
width of the stud (so the patch can be attached later).
9. Use sandpaper to roughen around the edges.
10. Cut a new piece of drywall the same size as The Hole you cut out.
11. Attach the new drywall patch to the stud using drywall screws or drywall nails. Be careful not to break the paper by setting the heads too deep.
12. Using a putty knife, apply thin (and I mean thin!) coat of joint compound along the seams. Press paper joint tape into the joint compound (gently now!). Make sure the edges of the tape are in the compound, but scrape away any excess.
13. After that coat dries, apply two more thin coats over the tape, extending several inches on each side to blend into the original wall.
14. Sand lightly between coats.
15. Prime the new patch.
16. Paint!
