Decorating eggs is a charming tradition that all members of the family will enjoy - and they take no time at all.

These eggs are dyed in the Greek style, take ten minutes in the preparation and 15 minutes to cook.

You'll need:
Eggs
Sachets of Greek Easter-egg colouring from a Greek deli
250ml white vinegar for each colour

Here's how:

1. Place eggs into a heatproof bowl and cover with hot tap water. Allow to stand for 10 minutes (this will prevent the eggs from breaking in the boiling water).

2. For each colour: dissolve powdered dye in one cup of boiling water. Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan. Pour over dye, add extra water so eggs are covered in water. Simmer over medium to low heat for 15 minutes.

3. Add vinegar and simmer for one minute. Remove from heat. Using a large spoon, carefully remove eggs from dye. Allow to cool.

To make patterns, tie string or good quality, thick elastic bands around the eggs. Remove after cooling.

To make the coloured eggs shiny, wipe them with an oiled cloth.

If Greek dyes are unavailable, use food colourings from the supermarket but to ensure deep colour, use plenty of vinegar at the end of cooking.

Instead of colourings, you can use natural dyes from vegetables. For example, boil beetroot, then colour the eggs with the cooking water, or try red cabbage, blueberries or strong coffee.

Use different eggs for different effects. Tiny quail eggs look great coloured. A fantastic Greek deli that stocks the sachets is Kakulas Sister, 29-31 Market Street, Fremantle, WA 6160. Phone (08) 9430 4445. Colours include red, blue, green and yellow.