How to Close a Hole in Sheetrock

Clean the edges of the hole with the safety knife to ensure that no torn pieces of drywall will mar the surface when it is painted.

Cut a piece of scrap drywall slightly larger than the size of the hole in the wall, then use the safety knife to score a line through the middle. Snap the drywall into two pieces, but do not cut the paper on the back of the drywall. This will allow you to fold the piece in half to fit into the wall.

Poke a hole into the center of the paper on the back of the drywall you just snapped in half, and run the string through this hole. Tie a toothpick to the end of this string so the string cannot be pulled back through the hole. The toothpick should be located on the side of the drywall that has the crack, not the side that has the uncut paper backing.

Fold the drywall in half, then insert it into the hole in the wall. Unfold it while it is in the wall and draw it against the back side of the drywall hole to provide a backing for the plaster to hold against. Hold the string firmly so the drywall piece does not slide around.

Apply plaster into the hole with a putty knife while you hold tightly to the string. If it is a larger hole, it's a good idea to put small pieces of scrap drywall inside the repair area while it is being plastered so that the plaster will have something to hold onto, rather than running out of the repair. Continue holding the string for a few minutes to allow the plaster to begin to set.

Cut the string with the safety knife, then allow the plaster to fully cure before continuing.

Sand down the plaster on the repair so that it is even with the rest of the wall, then paint the wall with a matching paint shade to complete the repair process.