1. Size it Up

One size definitely does not fit all when it comes to repairing holes in your walls. Different types of holes need to be fixed with different building material. For instance, small nail holes can be fixed with a little slap of synthetic plywood patching compound. Fill the hole with the compound, sand it done, and the job is complete.

If your holes are bigger than nail holes, then a little extra work will be needed. If the hole is about the size of a light switch plate, stuff some old newspaper in the hole and the repeat the above steps. For holes that are around the size of a tennis ball, you'll need a little more work again. You'll need to buy some drywall and fill the hole with that, leaving enough hanging over the edges that you can make it blend into the rest of the wall.

Very large holes should be treated as wall replacement rather than repair. Get rid of any lingering nails and screws and apply a whole new piece of drywall. To do this job right, you'll need to learn the steps involved in drywalling and complete the process from start to finish.

If you are in doubt as to which kind of hole you have, measure it and seek advice at your local hardware store.

2. Get Ready

Before beginning, make a list of all the materials you will need and make sure you have them on hand. Otherwise, the end result could be a little less than great. For instance, if you put a bunch of spackle in the hole and then realize you don't have any sandpaper, the spackle will be dry and hard to smooth out by the time you pick some up.

3. Easy on the Spackle

Think you can get around all of those annoying little steps involved in repairing medium or large holes by going spackle crazy? Think again. Your hole will only sink in again if you don't put any backing behind the spackle in a big hole.

4. Breath In, Breathe Out

DIY projects can sound like a good idea until you actually get started, in which case most of the time you can't wait to be finished. The problem here is that doing the job half way will make it worse than if you had never done it all. Gather up all of your patience, and power through the pain.

5. Finishing Touches

If you haven't sanded, your hole is not smooth, period. If it looks good enough, your eyes deceive you. Sand it down and be done with it. You'll be glad you did.