You Don’t Need to Be a Pro To Fix Holes in Drywall—Even Big Ones

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05 Jan 2026 18:59

Who among us hasn't accidentally put a hole through their drywall? Whether you opened a door too forcefully and sent the knob into the wall, or your kid threw a toy that broke right through, a crumbly hole in the middle of your wall never looks good. And you're bound to have tiny holes all over your house from hanging picture frames and mirrors. Repairing those unsightly holes is a great indoor wintertime maintenance project (and you might have a few more dents after hosting little ones over the holidays). As these clever fixes show, repairing a hole in drywall, even when it’s large, doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming. Use the following hacks to repair holes large and small.

How to Repair Small Holes in Drywall

Nails and drywall anchors can leave unsightly holes in your wall. You can return your walls to pristine condition by using this method from Dan and Steve Tuer of Refreshhomeimoprovments to repair small holes.

Prep the Hole

Holes in drywall tend to pooch outward, especially if you’re removing a nail, screw, or anchor from the dry wall. While your instincts may be to scrape or sand the hole to bring it level with the wall prior to applying patch, the Tuers say this only makes the hole worse. Instead, use the back of the handle of a hammer to press the hole inward. This eliminates the pooch, making the hole ready for the patch.

Apply Compound

Use your scraper to fill the hole with a drywall compound. The key here is to use a fast setting compound, which dries in about an hour, so you can proceed to the next step more quickly.

Skim Coat the Repair

Once the compound is set up, the Tuers recommend applying a thinner spackle or compound over the repair using your scraper. This thinner compound can be more easily blended into the surrounding wall.

Dry and Sand

Wait an hour or two for the spackle to dry (or you can accelerate the process by using a heat gun). Once dry, use a 150-220 grit sandpaper to blend the patch with the surrounding wall.

Prime and Paint

Apply a wall primer using a roller or spray can, which will blend better than a brush with the surrounding wall paint. Use a roller to apply a topcoat of paint to match the wall. The Tuers recommend applying a few coats so that the top coat matches the texture of the wall better.

How to Repair a Large Hole in Drywall

Bo Petterson of Dadadvicefrombo has a great hack for repairing a hole that’s larger than a 1/2-inch.

Make your Patch

You’ll need some new drywall to create your patch. You can purchase small pieces for repairs at most home improvement stores. Start by cutting out a square piece of drywall that’s larger than the hole.

Cut Out the Damage

Hold the patch over the hole, then mark around it using a pencil. Use a utility knife or oscillating tool to cut out the square section that includes the damage.

Create Backing

You’ll need to install wood backing that will hold the drywall patch in place:

Cut out two pieces of 2x4 or some other pieces of scrap wood that are a little larger than the hole.
Drive a couple of drywall screws into each piece so that the heads stick out a few inches. The screws will give you something to hold onto as you install the backing.
Place the two pieces of wood inside the hole, then position them so they’re covering the hole.
While holding each piece of backing in place, fasten them to the drywall by driving sheetrock screws through the drywall and into each piece of wood. Your backing is now in place.

Apply the Patch

Install the square drywall patch into the hole, then secure it to the backing using sheetrock screws.

Mud and Tape the patch

Apply drywall mud to the patch, then apply sheetrock tape around the seams between the patch and surrounding wall. Apply more mud to the patch, smoothing it out over the hole using a putty knife.

Sand and Paint

Allow the mud to dry completely, then sand it until it blends with the surrounding wall. Finally, apply a coat of paint to complete the repair.

Drywall tape can help add structure and support to a hole as you cover it.

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Super Quick Drywall Repair

As Jeff Thorman homerenovisiondiy demonstrates, fixing a fist-size hole in your drywall doesn’t have to require cutting patches and installing backing. All you need for this fix is some drywall mud, a putty knife, and some drywall tape.

Fill the Hole

Start by filling the hole with a large dollop of mudding.

Add Tape

Next, put a piece of tape across the hole. Scrape the excess mudding off the top of the tape with your putty knife.

Create Your Patch

Turn the knife around and use the butt of the handle to push the tape about a half inch deep into the hole. The recessed tape will serve as backing to hold the patch. Fill the depression with mud, then scrape away any excess to bring it flush with the surrounding wall.

Add More Tape

Add another piece of drywall tape over the top of the hole. Scrape away the excess mud. You’ve now created a patch that consists of mudding sandwiched between two pieces of drywall paper, which is essentially the same make up as a piece of sheetrock. Allow the patch to dry, then sand and paint.