Just cut out some massive corrugated cardboard numbers and use them as photo props on NYE and New Year's Day. You can leave them plain or paint them - a very light wash of colour works well, but we now prefer to leave them plain because...
Remember that sadly, any painted-on paper or card cannot be recycled (as the fibres have been weakened by the moisture and are no longer suitable for the recycling process). "Even if your children use a water-based paint, the paper still can’t be recycled. This is because it’s not the paint itself that makes the paper unrecyclable but the fact that the paper has been wet. Once paper or cardboard has been wet, the paper fibres are damaged and can't be recycled." This is on the Russell Richardson Recyling FAQs web page and is confirmed by the 'Yes Please / No Thanks' table on the Recycle Now website.