Trying to drive a screw into a hole that’s too big is a waste of time. If this happens, you have two options:

Option number one is to take the screw out, apply filler to the hole and let it dry. After the appropriate amount of time, you can try to re-drill the screw into the filled hole. This method works, but it involves waiting around for the filler to dry.

Option number two is to encase the screw with steel wool to take up space in the hole. The steel wool provides enough friction to hold the screw in place and takes a lot less time than trying to refill the hole. It expands to fit the shape of the hole, giving the screw hole new life.

The next time you have a screw that won’t fit, grab your steel wool and put your carpentry skills to use.