Patch a drywall hole so the repair disappears

Match the fix to the hole size:

Nail holes and dings

• Press spackle into the hole with a putty knife, scrape flush, let dry, light sand. Five minutes plus drying time.

Fist-sized holes (the classic doorknob hole)

• Get a self-adhesive mesh patch — a screen square with a sticky back.
• Stick it over the hole, then skim joint compound over the mesh in thin layers — two thin coats beat one thick one — feathering the edges out 2 to 3 inches.
• Sand smooth when dry, prime, paint. The feathering is what makes it invisible: the patch should fade into the wall, not sit on top of it.

Big holes (6 inches and up)

• Cut the damage into a clean square, screw wood backing strips inside the edges, cut a drywall piece to fit, screw it to the backing, tape the seams, compound, sand, paint.

Three rules for all of it: thin coats, let each coat fully dry, and always prime before painting — or the patch will flash through as a dull spot.

Spackle vs joint compound, since people ask: spackle is for small fills (dries fast, barely shrinks). Joint compound is for taping and larger areas (feathers out smoother, sands easier). Using spackle on a big patch is why it cracks.