A CARDBOARD houseboat made its maiden journey on a stretch of the River Thames — and remarkably it didn’t sink.

    The makeshift boat, which is believed to be the first of its kind, was designed by Harry Dwyer and Charlie Waller, who built it with recycled material thrown away by businesses.

    The boat, which has been named This Way Up, was used to escort television presenter and designer Kevin McCloud to Grand Designs Live.

    The 56-year-old British architect successfully captained the vessel to the exhibition at the ExCel center in Newham, London.

    The boat took just one week to build and features two bunks, a table, portholes, a wine rack and even a flag made from bubble wrap.

    Dwyer and Waller, who run Aircraft Workshop, a company that makes products from waste materials, first designed the boat on a computer, before creating a prototype.

    The full-scale boat was then waterproofed with varnish before being fitted with a motor.

    The unusual vessel was able to carry both its creators and the TV presenter comfortably across the water.

    Speaking in a recent video, the designers claimed that cardboard is a great material for prototypes as it is both quick and easy to work with.

    The video showed the talented duo removing large pieces of cardboard from recycling bins, which was used to create the prototype.

    The above footage showed the pair taking on the real thing in their workshop before wheeling the boat to the Thames.

    The trio are then seen bobbing down the river — McCloud sits at the front and relaxes with a cup of tea while taking in the view.

    Dwyer and Waller have ambitious plans to take the houseboat across the English Channel at some point next year.

    But for now the vessel will remain on show at Grand Designs Live until Sunday. (SD-Agencies)