need to patch up some holes in dry wall questions

[greatdeals]

I have some holes that I need to repair as well as some screw holes. instead of buying spackle for the screw holes and joint compound for the holes I was wondering if I could use joint compount to cover up the screw or nail holes?

also wondering what you would recommend to texture (knock down) the walls. should I use one of those cans or get a portable hand unit?

[pushkins]

Use drywall compound to fill both the nail; and screw holes as well as any other repairs you need to make.
As far as the textured finish , it depends on what finish your looking for and how big an area you need to do.
Typically "knock down" finishes are applied by hand then troweled over, hence the "knock down" term.
If your looking to finish an entire wall or more then a hand machine is advised, You could use the tin stuff for small repairs but be warned the tin stuff is far from a good choice to try to match and existing texture.

[Drywall DIY Guy]

Holes in Drywall

You can fill the holes with joint compound, but you should use about 3 coats. Fill and scrape level. Let dry and it will shrink in. Repeat twice. Sand lightly.

Think twice about texture. It will make any repairs a LOT more difficult. And drywall is ALWAYS going to need to be repaired at some point. Well finished smooth walls will make life a lot easier. But if you really want texture, a good DIY finish is knockdown. It requires a sprayer and you use ordinary joint compound. You should practice a bit on scrap before starting on your wall. See How to Apply Knockdown Drywall Texture - Watch the Knock Down Video