It’s easy to damage a wall. A piece of furniture being moved can graze a wall, leaving an eye-catching scar. Dogs scratch claw marks on walls, especially near doors. Someone tripping and falling into a wall (like my teenage son did when he slipped on our stairs) can result in a dent or crack (his shoulder and elbow are fine — the wall, not so much).

Drywall or sheetrock (the words are interchangeable) — the panels that make up most walls — can tear or crack at the seam where panel meets panel. The good news is that patching a wall is an easy and inexpensive job for an amateur handyman or woman. So here’s Drywall Patching 101. Let’s repair those small cracks, dents and holes that make the house look run-down.

(Note: Big hole repair is a complicated project, requiring cutting around damaged drywall with a saw, screwing in wood supports and a new drywall patch, followed by taping and several coats of drywall joint compound. Plaster wall repair is even more involved, requiring different materials and techniques and a much higher skill level, so we’ll leave that to the professionals.)

Time: About two hours (because you may need time to allow your patching material to dry between applications)

Difficulty: Easy

Cost: $10 to $40

Supplies:

Spackling paste ($4-$6) or premixed joint compound ($8-$10)

Putty knife ($4-$10)

Self-adhesive fiberglass drywall tape ($3-$6)

Mesh repair patches ($3-$5) for small holes

Utility knife or scissors (which you probably already own)

Fine-grit sandpaper ($1)

Spray can of wall texture ($13-$17) for “popcorn” or “orange peel” surfaces

or

Wall Repair Patch Kit (about $10) includes spackling, self-adhesive patch, putty knife and sandpaper

Primer and paint (We assume you have some leftover paint. If not, it’s a good time to pick a new color and freshen up the room after you’ve done your repair.)

Step 1: Fill ’er up

If you have a small crack or dent, simply fill it with spackling paste, smooth it with a putty knife, and allow it to dry. Sand it lightly, and then repeat the process if the blemish hasn’t filled in and disappeared.

A hairline crack should be widened a little bit with a screwdriver or utility blade to make clean edges and provide more room for the spackling paste or drywall joint compound.

A small hole of about one inch in diameter may be repaired easily and economically with a patch kit sold in hardware and home improvement stores. Follow the instructions on the kit that generally include spreading spackling paste or joint compound around the hole; cutting a mesh patch to cover the hole with some overlap and spackling over the mesh. Smooth it with a putty knife, and then allow it to dry. Sand it lightly, and then, if necessary, repeat the process.

If your wall has texture (like a popcorn ceiling, or walls with that “orange peel” look), texturize your finished repair before you paint with a spray can of wall texture to match the wall surface. (Practice first by spraying a piece of cardboard with the texture spray. Experiment by spraying the wall texture from different distances to get the right look.)

Step 2: Tape and sand

Large cracks benefit by reinforcement with self-adhesive fiberglass drywall tape. (There is also less expensive paper drywall tape, but experts usually recommend the fiberglass tape for a better result.)

After applying spackling paste or joint compound to the crack, and smoothing it with a putty knife, cover the crack with a piece of drywall tape and press and smooth it into the paste or compound with your knife. Apply another layer of spackling or compound over the tape, and smooth it with the putty knife. After it dries for several hours or overnight, lightly sand the area to make it match the rest of the wall.

Step 3: Prime and paint

Congratulations on repairing your small crack, dent or hole. Pat yourself on the back. Now it’s time to prime and paint. Welcome back, smooth walls!

Sources: “Home Improvement 1-2-3,” by The Home Depot, Meredith Publishing Group, copyright 2008 by Homer TLC, Inc., and “What’s a Homeowner to Do?” by Stephen Fanuka and Edward Lewine, published by Artisan, a division of Workman Publishing Company, Inc., 2011, and Ace Hardware Corp. brand self adhesive fiberglass wall repair patches.

Editor’s note:

Check back every other week for do-it-yourself projects.