To fill a small hole in gypsum wallboard, use vinyl spackling compound, but first slightly dent the surface with a hammer to produce a void for the filler. Clean the hole and dampen it with a sponge. Apply the spackling compound with a putty knife, drawing it smoothly over the dent, flush with the wall’s surface.

For a deep hole, allow the patch to dry, sand lightly with 120-grit sandpaper, and reapply spackling compound. Sand very lightly and then touch up with paint to match.

Holes are easy to make in drywall, and they’re just as easy to fix. Repair kits are sold for this—they usually are either simple metal clips that support a replacement piece or they have some sort of backerboard that inserts into the hole and suspends itself in place while you cover the now-plugged opening with joint compound. The dried compound and the backerboard become part of the wall, and the rest of the job is just smoothing over the damaged area and repainting to match the rest of the wall. You can also make your own backer from a piece of scrap plywood or drywall.

Thoroughly smear the backerboard with joint compound (this “glues” it to the inside wall face), and use a string to hold it in place while the compound dries. Then cut the string off and use more compound to smooth out the repair, as above.

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If the hole is very large, it’s often better to cut the drywall back to a stud on each side of the break. Use a screw gun to fasten a 2-by-4 nailer to the open face of each stud and then cut a new piece of drywall to fit the opening. Tape and compound all of the joints as you would new drywall installation. For more about repairing the surface, see How to Repair Sheetrock Drywall.