Encouraging or Unnecessary?

I came across this post today from Apartment Therapy - they're recommending a circular hunk of wood that you can roll old newspaper around to make a little seed-starter pot, that you can then plant directly into the garden.

Does this seem totally ridiculous and unnecessary to anyone else?  A $15 hunk of wood.  When any circular object you have in your home, or no object at all!, will do.  You're rolling the newspaper into a cylinder and tucking it in at the bottom.  Really?  You need a tool for this?  

I'm all about encouraging people to plant things, re-use paper, be generally environmentally-minded.  But I will seriously rethink our friendship if I find this in your house.  Call me instead.  I will come and help you roll newspaper seed-starters.  Urging frivolous consumerism is the opposite of what we need right now.   Hmmph.