Be careful if you have to move furniture within the room while painting. Remove area rugs also if possible. Then cover the remaining floor with dropcloths. Some wall or ceiling fixtures may not be removable. You can cover them with newspaper, but be sure that the fixture is off and there is no exposed wiring that can ignite the paper.
Newspaper is also good to cover railings when painting halls and stairways.
Now it is time to prepare the surfaces for painting. You will use the spackling compound to repair holes in the wall, and the putty for repair to the wood surfaces. Locate all of the holes or small dents in the wall in need of repair and apply a thin coat of spackle to them. Use one spackling knife to remove the spackle from the can and hold it, and use the other knife to apply the spackle to the wall. You may use your index finger to apply spackling compound to inside corners and against wood trim.