Step 1: Use Knife to Cut Small Square Around Hole

Mark the area darkly, using a pencil, that you want to cut out around the hole in the wall. Carefully apply pressure with the knife coinciding with the edge of the marked area to create an incision. Lean the knife downwards, so that you can cut at an angle and follow your marking down to the corner of the square. Once at the corner, withdraw the draw knife and hold it perpendicular to the previous edge at the corner you cut down to with the knife’s point at the corner. Once again apply pressure so that an incision is made in the new edge, lean the knife, and follow the edge cutting along your marking. Repeat these steps until you have fully followed your square to your original carving and carefully remove the cut-out square section from the wall.

Step 2: Apply the Patch Over the Hole

Remove a dry-wall repair patch from the pack and take off the plastic protection sheet from the sticky side of the patch. Carefully administer the sticky side of the dry-wall repair patch to the wall, covering the entirety of the cut-out square section you made in the first step. Begin by applying pressure the top of the patch and slowly smooth the patch down over the hole softly. Apply further pressure to the outer edges of the dry-wall repair patch to completely mold the patch to the wall ensuring a firm hold.

Step 3: Apply Initial Compound Over the Patch

Apply the initial layer of the joint compound over the dry-wall repair patch and wall with the joint knife. The joint compound ensures that the patch remains firmly stuck to the wall for long after it has been applied and adds structural support to both the patch and wall so that the patch doesn’t cave in due to lack of support once the initial stickiness of the patch wears away. You won’t want to over-apply too much of the compound but rather meticulously cover the entire area in a thick coat for maximum effectiveness. You can use the joint knife to compact the compound and smooth it over the area. Let the compound dry for roughly fifteen minutes before beginning step four.

Step 4: Sand the Area

Your next step is to use the sanding block to sand the area you applied the joint compound over. The goal of this step is to remove any excess compound that is outside the necessary area as well as reduces unnecessary build-up of compound that is likely to exist following step three. The goal of this step isn’t to remove the compound you applied in step three but to smooth out the area. You will want to sand lightly using little to moderate pressure from the inside to the outside respectively. Use a lighter pressure on the inside to remove build-up without compromising the structure that the patch and compound are there to create. Use slightly stronger pressure towards the outside to smooth between the patch and the wall to look natural, blend, and solidify the compound.

Step 5: Apply Compound and Sand Again

This step is necessary to continue to supply support for the patch and wall. This can be repeated as many times as necessary for the size or structure of the wall. This will be left up to the discretion of the individual but you should not over compound as it will cake and either fall off or cave-in the area or you may sand away the actual wall. You want to always let the compound dry before sanding again.

How to Patch a Hole in Drywall - Step #5
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Step 6: Cover With Water-Based Primer and Paint

Cover the area of the wall with water-based primer that will allow you to paint the area. Choose a paint color you deem fit and proceed to paint the wall. Do be careful not to push too hard on the wall! And clean!