If you are a homeowner that enjoys DIY renovation, you've probably had the opportunity to patch a hole or two in your drywall. If you're an owner of an old home, especially one with plaster, you've probably had the pleasure of trying your best to patch a hole or two and trying to make it blend with the rest of the wall. And, if you're Wendy and me, you've had the joy of spending years patching cracked and failing plaster, giant holes in the walls and ceilings, and holes that you've created in your own walls.

Lucky for you, our pain is your gain! We've gotten quite adept at patching plaster over the years, and we're going to share the step by step secrets to our success. Whether you're patching drywall or old horse hair plaster and lath, these steps will apply to your situation. So sit tight and enjoy, we hope it is helpful the next time you run into a hole or crack in your walls that need a little attention.

For this project you will need:

• Drywall scraps for the patch (usually 1/2", but sometimes 5/8" depending on the thickness of the plaster)
• Utility Knife
• Drywall Saw
• 1 1/4" Drywall Screws
• Fiberglass Screen or Drywall Fiberglass Tape
• Drywall Taping Knife (for spreading and smoothing mud)
• Setting Type Joint Compound - The powder mix setting type is best because it dries harder (I like the 90 minute bag), but the pre mix bucket will work too. I prefer not to use the lightweight, but that is just my own preference.
• Sandpaper/Drywall Sanding Sponge
• Cordless drill or screwdriver
• Drywall Plane for small modifications to sizes (optional)
• Shop-Vac with drywall filter bags

When we were doing our quick guest bedroom makeover a little while back, we were faced with several large holes around the outlets throughout the room. We had installed these outlets several years back when we had to do some major work to our kitchen below this room (thanks, Termites...), and I just never patched the horrible job I did cutting holes in the plaster. When we started this little patching project, the plaster was jagged and falling apart around each outlet in the room. The first step to the process was to cut a larger hole with a more consistent edge around the outlet to give us something stable to which we could attach the drywall patch. I used the utility knife and a lot of patience for this step, otherwise I would end up with even more crumbling plaster.

Once we removed the plaster, we had exposed enough lath that we would be able to firmly attach a drywall patch directly to the lath. This allows the lath to really support the back of the patch, which lets you secure the junction box to the drywall. In this situation, we've used the remodel style junction boxes that clamp to the drywall with little tabs that tighten with screws (visible at the top of the box in the following photo). These are available at any hardware store.