Insider Wall Patch Trick

Does it count if the “insider” is just a person inside of Home Depot? Hmm… I think so!

After doing some DIY demo, I had more than a couple places in my walls that were in need of some touching up. While on a trip to the HD, I was disappointed to find that the wall patch kits they sell run around four bucks a pop! The sheets were a little big for the spaces that I needed to patch, so I asked someone if they could just be cut into smaller pieces. He tried to get me to buy an expensive pair of cutters to do the job, but also told me about a super-cheap trick for the small holes…

Here's a hole not quite small enough for a simple layer of joint compound.
I took a strip of paper and rolled it to roughly the same diameter as my hole.

It's best when you have a tight squeeze going into the hole (you don't want it falling into the wall!).

I simply covered the spot with joint compound like I would do with a nail hole.

After letting this dry, I'll do another layer and sand it smooth... piece of cake!

Okay, so maybe I created a few larger holes that I’ll still need to use these for… still, I’ve saved a bundle using the rolled magazine trick!

Do you have any quick or cheap wall patching tricks?