I ripped a towel rack off the bathroom wall and left behind a hole the size of a quarter, plus a second, uglier hole where the other screw pulled out. My first thought was that I needed a contractor.

It cost about eight dollars at the hardware store and took me twenty minutes, and now I can barely find the spot even though I know where to look.

Small holes just need spackle

For anything smaller than a coin, you do not need a patch kit, mesh, or any special tools. You need a small tub of spackle and something flat to spread it.

• Wipe the hole clean and knock out any loose bits
• Press spackle into the hole with a putty knife or an old credit card
• Overfill it slightly so it leaves a small bump
• Let it dry, then sand it flat with fine sandpaper

The overfill-and-sand step is the whole trick. If you fill it flush, it shrinks as it dries and leaves a dimple you will see forever.

The toothpaste myth

You have probably heard you can patch a hole with white toothpaste. It works as a temporary fix in a rental if you are in a bind, but it shrinks, cracks, and yellows. It is a stopgap, not a repair. Use real spackle if you want it to last.

For paint matching, chip off a small piece of the wall and take it to the paint store. They can match it in minutes, and you can often buy a tiny sample jar instead of a full gallon.