Patching and Plastering - Making a (drywall) patch that will hold small hardware?

Is there such a thing as a (wall) patch that has the ability (strength) to hold small hardware (such as curtain rod fasteners) afterwards?..

I recently removed some old upholstery in my unit that was positioned over the patio door...however, I wish to hang some curtains in that spot now..

However, I still have the old upholstery piece fastener locations to contend with...and I don't know yet whether or not the new curtain rod fasteners (they're being ordered presently) will match (identically) the existing holes that were made to fasten the old upholstery to the wall..

Here is the spot that I am referring to specifically:
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg4/the_nightfly001/Wall/HardwarePatch_001.jpg

Also, you will notice in the photo that I have a metal corner running down my wall (which further complicates the situation in my estimation)..

Anybody got any ideas on how to go about hanging my new curtain rod fasteners in this position and patching over the open drywall?

Many thanks to all who reply!

Do you have an electronic/sonar type stud finder? They aren't that expensive, and they will pay for themselves after the first use. In your situation, there should be at least one jack stud and one king stud beside your window, giving you 3" of solid wood behind the corner you refer to. The metal corner bead needs to be there to support the corner of sheetrock. I would just coat over the area with joint compound, sanding after it is dry, painting it and checking with the stud finder to see where your structural wood is located. You can predrill and install screws into and through the metal corner bead, as there is structural wood under it that will hold your stuff.

Hey thanks for the advice Chandler! You've helped me a couple of times before on the forums and you've always been spot on!

Perhaps this situation isn't as difficult as I thought it was and after I pick up the sonar stud finder as you suggested, then I guess I will find out for sure! :D

I just discovered that I have a similar situation with some shelf hooks that support a wire shelf in a closet..

The hooks are plastic and have deteriorated over the years and most of them have decayed to the point that the shelf droops a little toward the center..

The hooks are fastened into the wall with drywall anchors...however, the anchors have become loose over the years because the area around the holes where the anchors are fastened have become a little deteriorated due to frequent use..

If I were to patch over these spots with a little bit of drywall joint compound (and later attempt to re-insert the anchors in the identical positions to hold the shelf hooks), then could I count on this to be strong enough to hold up the hooks again?

Once again, a picture is often worth a thousand words:
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg4/the_nightfly001/Wall/MasterBedroomCloset_0022.jpg

If it makes any difference, then the anchor holes have decayed enough so that the holes are about 1/2 inch in diameter or so and I believe that the thickness of the drywall inside this closet is about 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick and the holes are spaced/positioned about 12 inches apart.

Will a simple compound patch over these holes be strong enough to support the weight of the shelf (and its contents) once again?

Again, many thanks to all who reply!

You won't have any success in just patching the holes and reinserting the fasteners. Can you move the fasteners to a stud location for a superior hold? Remember this afternoon you should have your stud finder! Another solution is to mount a 1x3 to the wall via the studs and then mount your shelves to the 1x3 in any position you want, just in case you need it in an area where there are no studs.

Thanks once again for the suggestions, Chandler!..

I went & grabbed one of those stud finders that you were talking about yesterday afternoon..

I'll mark 'em today & see what kind of options that this gives me for re-attaching the hooks once again..

The 1 x 3 idea sounds pretty good too...I may do this for a more 'permanent' fix..

A third option that I had even thought of last night was to slide the shelf up or down an inch or so on the wall.