A repaired hole in the drywall might seem to be ready to paint, but until you match the surrounding texture it really isn't. Today you'll learn how to recreate wall texture when it's time to complete a minor repair. Does the surrounding surface look swirly? Or is it covered with raised freeform shapes? Or maybe it's covered with bumps? Swirl just requires a bit of experimentation and practice. Study the wall first, then put some drywall joint compound on a practice board -- using your best guess at what was used. Whether brush, roller, squeegee or sponge, try duplicating their moves until you get it right. Then tackle the wall without hesitation. Duplicating raised freeform shapes is easier than you might think. All you need is a can of spray texture from the hardware store with various spray tips to match different patterns. Just spray it on (it'll spit blobs out on the wall), wait a few minutes, then lightly flatten them using a wide-blade drywall knife (for rounded bumps, don't flatten). With your repair made and texture matched, you're ready to paint. For more tips, visit our Web site at onthehouse.com. And that's the On The House tip for today.