If playful kids or moving furniture has knocked a hole in your drywall, don't panic. It's not as bad as you think. Here's how to smooth things over without spending a bundle. Cut a patch of wallboard bigger than the hole. Scribe a line around the perimeter of the patch onto the wall. Using a wallboard saw, cut along the lines and remove the damaged area around the hole. Lay the patch face down and cut two pieces of wallboard tape to form a cross top-to-bottom and side-to-side. Cut each piece several inches bigger than the patch, then spread joint-tape compound on the back of the patch and around the hole. Place the tapes crosswise on the back of the patch with a few inches sticking out on each side. Hold the patch in the hole and press the tape ends into the joint compound around the hole. Cover all joints with wallboard tape and more compound. Smooth with a putty knife. Let it dry, repeat the process, then sand and paint. And that's the On The House tip for today.