Thought I had the gosh darn curtain rods in there perfect. Then they just fall right out of the wall (after like a year). I now have to repair a small hole and find the [dang] stud that seems impossible to find.
Ok. So holes are reasonably well speckled. Now I need to sand it. Spackle again. Sand again. Paint.
THEEEEeeeennnn put up curtain rods. I'm not happy I can't find the stud.
First I hope you know that finding the stud is as easy as finding ANY stud. You may know that they are placed exactly 16" apart, so once you find one, you can deduce the location of the others with a measuring tape.
To find one, look for something else that is connected to a stud, Shelf, hook etc. Also, light switch and outlet boxes are typically attached to the side of a stud. Measure over 3/4" to find the stud center.
You can also tap lightly and listen. When the wall doesn't sound hollow, you found it. Or use a gadget. Search "stud finder" on Amazon.
But that's really not the issue. The studs may not align with where you need your screws and you may have to mount the rods in drywall. Don't use those plastic screw anchors. They will only support the lightest loads over time. Instead, you need a
hollow wall fastener.
Here's a link to a common easy solution:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNFv65-QTPIThere are other types of fasteners that will do the job. Type "Hollow & Drywall Anchors" into the Home Depot search box to see some.
Since you were happy with the installation of the rod before it fell, you may want to re-use the holes you just repaired...using better hardware, of course. And doing the spackle and re-finish was great practice!
And just in general, when you are learning the ins and outs of home handyman projects, there is nothing like making a connection at a good local hardware store, where they have advice and solutions for EVERYTHING. And never forget the power of YouTube.