In this post, we’re going to find small business home decor alternative to items that Rachel previously had saved on Amazon to promote shopping small and mindfully!
Published: 1/4/25
@romanticizingrachel HAPPY SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY EVERYONE!!! Let’s do some shopping 🛍️ In 2025, we aren’t running to Amazon for all of our home decor needs anymore. No ma’am we are shopping small FIRST! In this series I’m going to help YOU (and me lol) find the best small business alternatives to the trendiest Amazon home decor. Because why settle for Amazon when there’s better, budget friendly options that support people’s dreams??? I haven’t been paid to talk about any of these brands, I’m just here to prove that Amazon ain’t all that. LET ME KNOW WHAT HOME DECOR ITEMS YOU’RE ON THE HUNT FOR!! I’ll find them for you so we can all shop small together!! #budgetfriendlydecor #smallbusiness #smallbusinesssaturday #vintagehome #shopsmall #homeimprovement #homedecor #thrifthaul #cozyhomes #thriftingtips #budgetdecorating ♬ original sound – Rachel | Small Home Ideas
I’m swearing off Amazon in 2025!
That’s right, you heard me.
After seeing what felt like hundreds of Amazon wishlists over the holidays and watching so many creators trying to get me to use their affiliate links, I just couldn’t take it anymore.
I’ve been blogging for over a year now and have used Amazon affiliate links in my blog up until this point.
But I only started dipping my toes in social media content creation around November of 2025 until the present and let me tell you, the Amazon marketing is out of control.
Both as a user and now as a creator, I totally understand how easy it is to make Amazon your primary place to shop.
It offers very budget-friendly options, it can be delivered pretty much anywhere in a matter of days, and it’s one of the first ways content creators can start to bring in income through affiliate links.
That last one is initially what sucked me in.
I was excited to be accepted into their affiliate program because to be honest, I’ve been pretty desperate to find alternative sources of income this year.
Being a working mom is exhausting and the thought of being able to work entirely from home sounds too good to be true.
So I started promoting Amazon links on the blog and had a few hits here and there.
But when I started getting serious about Instagram, I was seeing huge home influencers filling their stories everyday with Amazon affiliate links.
Or they had reels promoting Amazon products that were absolutely skyrocketing to millions of views.
It made me feel like the only way to find success in this nice is to take the same approach.
But that just isn’t me and I have a hunch I’m not alone.
I’ve always been passionate about shopping small and supporting local economies!
So even if it means I don’t make as much through affiliates or don’t see as much success in my content, that’s a price I’m willing to pay to stay true to my morals as a consumer.
All of this has led me to create a new series I’m calling “Buy This Not That” where I source the best small business alternatives to your Amazon wishlist.
Shopping small doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your budget or your convenience!
I’ll make it easy FOR you so that shopping small can be an enjoyable experience for all of us.
Because I’ve recently decided to quit Amazon, I still have a lot of things saved in my account that I wanted to buy for my home!
So for part 1, we’re starting by searching for the best alternatives to the Amazon items I already had saved in my account.
I’m not making any commission from these recommendations; I just want to boost small businesses and show readers that there are other and better ways to shop for your home decor!
1. Candle Clip Lampshades
Recently, I tried to DIY my kitchen countertop lampshade.
It WAS a perfectly nice white lampshade that covered an amber light bulb and brought some nice alternative lighting into our kitchen.
I got overzealous and tried to paint a burgundy gingham pattern on it one night and the project went terribly.
My lines weren’t straight, my paint wasn’t the right color, and overall, it turned into more of a crimson grid that looked extra bad when place over the lightbulb.
So first item on my list was a new clip-on mini lampshade to reverse my DIY flub.
What Was on my Amazon List
The BETTER Small Business Option
Instead, I found this beautiful gingham fabric sconce from Patton House!
It retails for $69 and the original shades I was looking at were around $30 but with an added $20 at shipping (!!).
So overall, I’d say it’s well worth the price difference for such a beautiful piece from a woman owned business that prioritize sustainable practices.
2. Decorative Branches and Blooms
The next item I had saved on my list were different types of decorative faux branches and blooms to arrange in vases throughout my house.
This is a big trend on Instagram home accounts right now that I absolute LOVE.
I’ve been seeing this massively oversized arrangements with sprawling branches and bright blooms that add so much visual interest and character to a space.
Recently I had simply snipped some branches from a bush outside my house to fill a new vase.
Though I LOVED how it looked, my toddler made quick work of the drying leaves.
This led me to Amazon to find some more durable alternatives!
What Was on my Amazon List
The BETTER Small Business Alternative
This search for a small business alternative led me to one of my favorite finds of the year!
I stumbled upon an Etsy shop run by three men with the sweetest bios about how much they love their pets and children.
Not only do the owners seem very kind and have a five star rating, but the products are STUNNING.
They have a huge array of decorative branches and faux flowers of all colors and sizes.
They’re all very affordably priced so you can really pick and choose your pieces to make unique and beautiful bouquets.
The shop is called HouseFloral on Etsy and be sure to read their bios when you shop!
3. Large Ceramic Vases
Speaking of faux branches and flowers, you’ll need somewhere to put them!
Or at least I did.
I have a couple of large vases that I’ve been making the best of, but none of them were quite what I was envisioning for these grand centerpieces.
My soft spot when it comes to home decor is ceramics. I absolutely love pottery and especially large pieces like these gorgeous planters.
But if you’ve ever shopped for an item like this, you know the price tag can get very crazy very quickly.
That’s what led me to Amazon in the first place!
Because I knew I would find something within my budget, where it was a high-quality product or not.
What Was on my Amazon List
The BETTER Small Business Alternative
If you’ve arrived on this post from my video TikTok series, then I have bad news.
The vases I initially featured in that video are now sold out on the Well Worn Interior Website.
This small business is an amazing find of its own, though, and they have similar vases at a bit higher of a price point which I’ve linked above.
If that low price point is what you were looking for, though, this shop still has what you need.
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this stunning floral piece listed for ONLY $52. That’s crazy pants for such a beautiful and large ceramic piece!
Y’all better hurry with this one or it’s about to be mine!
4. Wall Sconces
I absolutely LOVE a good wall sconce and I currently have zero in my home.
There are two places I’d like to add one, though.
I’d like one in the kitchen above the coffee bar, and one to place above my son’s bed when we makeover his nursery into his big boy room!
So I already knew that I had wanted some, and I came across this one on my Amazon list through an Instagram creator posting it in her story.
Influencer- 1, Rachel- 0.
What Was on my Amazon List
The BETTER Small Business Alternative
I simply could not believe the prices of these sconces when I stumble upon the Olde Brick Lighting Company via Instagram.
$165 for a custom, hand-blown sconce from a small business in Pennsylvania is an INCREDIBLE steal if you ask me.
This small business alternative has the highest price disparity of any others on the list as this Amazon listing was around $60 I believe.
But you can tell just by looking at it that the quality is exquisite and will last you a lifetime.
I’m always willing to pay a little more if it means my money is going into the pockets of people who need it (aka NOT Jeff Bezos).
In conclusion, I hope this series shows consumers that you can still shop on a budget and with a certain kind of piece in mind, but all while supporting small businesses.
The idea of giving up Amazon can be daunting to some, but why rely on a mega corporation for your home decor when there are better and more sustainable options out there!
Let me find those options for you by commenting below what items you have in YOUR Amazon wish list and following this series whether it’s through the blog or my TikTok linked on the header of my website.
