Setting Border background with a template binding

Question

Value="{TemplateBinding HeaderColor}"I've created my own control, and I'm wondering if I can bind a Border.Background to a template property. Currently i'm setting it with a StaticResource like the following:

<Color x:Key="ControlMouseOverColor">green</Color>

<ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Border.Background).(GradientBrush.GradientStops)[1].(GradientStop.Color)" Storyboard.TargetName="headerLayout">
    <EasingColorKeyFrame KeyTime="0:0:6" Value="{StaticResource ControlMouseOverColor}" />
</ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames>

I'd like it be a property on my control, and be able to set it as a template binding

<ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Border.Background).(GradientBrush.GradientStops)[1].(GradientStop.Color)" Storyboard.TargetName="headerLayout">
    <EasingColorKeyFrame KeyTime="0:0:6" Value="{TemplateBinding HeaderColor}" />
</ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames>

MainPage.xaml

<ctrl:Selection Grid.Column="0" HeaderColor="Red" HeaderText="Header Text" />

my class:

public static readonly DependencyProperty HeaderColorProperty =
        DependencyProperty.Register("HeaderColor", typeof(System.Windows.Media.Color), typeof(Selection), new PropertyMetadata(System.Windows.Media.Colors.Red));

public  System.Windows.Media.Color HeaderColor {
    get { return (System.Windows.Media.Color)GetValue(HeaderColorProperty); }
    set { SetValue(HeaderColorProperty, value); }
}

This 2nd option does not work, should I be able to do this? I don't get an error, it just does not change to the color I set.

Comment left by AngelWPF asked for more code, pasting below, I'm in the beginning stages of learning to create a control, wanted to note that, because there is a lot I have not got to yet, one piece at a time :)

generic.xaml

<ResourceDictionary
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation" 
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:controls="clr-namespace:SelectionControl.Library"
xmlns:ctrl="clr-namespace:SelectionControl.Library;assembly=SelectionControl">

<LinearGradientBrush x:Key="HeaderBackground" EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
    <GradientStop Color="Black" Offset="0" />
    <GradientStop Color="Gray" Offset="1" />
</LinearGradientBrush>

<Color x:Key="ControlMouseEnterColor">aliceblue</Color>
<Color x:Key="ControlMouseLeaveColor">Gray</Color>
<Color x:Key="ControlLeftMouseUpColor">Red</Color>

<Style TargetType="ctrl:Selection">
    <Setter Property="Width" Value="Auto" />
    <Setter Property="Height" Value="Auto" />
    <Setter Property="FontSize" Value="12" />
    <Setter Property="FontWeight" Value="Bold" />
    <Setter Property="Foreground" Value="AliceBlue" />
    <Setter Property="Margin" Value="2,2,2,2" />

    <Setter Property="Background" Value="{StaticResource ResourceKey=HeaderBackground}" />

    <Setter Property="Template">
        <Setter.Value>
            <ControlTemplate TargetType="ctrl:Selection">
                <Grid x:Name="RootElement" Margin="{TemplateBinding Margin}">
                    <!-- Visual States -->
                     <VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
                          <VisualStateGroup x:Name="CommonStates">
                            <VisualState x:Name="MouseEnter">
                              <Storyboard>
                                    <ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Border.Background).(GradientBrush.GradientStops)[1].(GradientStop.Color)" Storyboard.TargetName="headerLayout">
                                        <EasingColorKeyFrame KeyTime="0:0:.5" Value="{TemplateBinding HeaderColor}" />
                                    </ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
                              </Storyboard>
                            </VisualState>
                            <VisualState x:Name="MouseLeave">
                                <Storyboard>
                                    <ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Border.Background).(GradientBrush.GradientStops)[1].(GradientStop.Color)" Storyboard.TargetName="headerLayout">
                                        <EasingColorKeyFrame KeyTime="0:0:1" Value="{StaticResource ControlMouseLeaveColor}" />
                                    </ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
                                </Storyboard>
                            </VisualState>
                            <VisualState x:Name="MouseLeftUp">
                                <Storyboard>
                                    <ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Border.Background).(GradientBrush.GradientStops)[1].(GradientStop.Color)" Storyboard.TargetName="headerLayout">
                                        <EasingColorKeyFrame KeyTime="0:0:1" Value="{StaticResource ControlLeftMouseUpColor}" />
                                    </ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
                                </Storyboard>
                            </VisualState>
                        </VisualStateGroup>
                        </VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
                    <!-- End Visual States-->

                    <Grid.RowDefinitions>
                        <RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>
                        <RowDefinition Height="*"/>
                    </Grid.RowDefinitions>
                    <!-- Header -->
                    <Border x:Name="headerLayout" Background="{TemplateBinding Background}" Grid.Row="0" HorizontalAlignment="Stretch" VerticalAlignment="Stretch" CornerRadius="2,2,2,2" BorderBrush="Black" BorderThickness="1">
                        <StackPanel>
                            <ToggleButton ></ToggleButton>
                            <TextBlock Foreground="{TemplateBinding Foreground}" Text="{TemplateBinding HeaderText}" FontWeight="{TemplateBinding FontWeight}" FontSize="{TemplateBinding FontSize}" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center" />
                        </StackPanel>
                    </Border>
                    <!-- Body Content -->
                    <ContentPresenter Grid.Row="1" Content="{TemplateBinding Content}" HorizontalAlignment="Stretch" VerticalAlignment="Stretch" />
                </Grid>
            </ControlTemplate>
        </Setter.Value>
    </Setter>
</Style>
</ResourceDictionary>

Selection.cs

using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Controls;
using System.Windows.Input;

namespace SelectionControl.Library {
    [TemplateVisualState(Name = Selection.MouseEnterStateName, GroupName = Selection.CommonStatesGroupName)]
    [TemplateVisualState(Name = Selection.MouseLeaveStateName, GroupName = Selection.CommonStatesGroupName)]
    [TemplateVisualState(Name = Selection.MouseLeftUpStateName, GroupName = Selection.CommonStatesGroupName)]

public class Selection : ContentControl {
    public const string CommonStatesGroupName = "CommonStates";
    public const string MouseEnterStateName = "MouseEnter";
    public const string MouseLeaveStateName = "MouseLeave";
    public const string MouseLeftUpStateName = "MouseLeftUp";

    public Selection() {
        this.DefaultStyleKey = typeof(Selection);

        this.MouseEnter += new MouseEventHandler(OnMouseEnter);
        this.MouseLeave += new MouseEventHandler(OnMouseLeave);
        this.MouseLeftButtonUp += new MouseButtonEventHandler(OnMouseLeftButtonUp);
    }

    void OnMouseLeftButtonUp(object sender, MouseButtonEventArgs e) {
        this.GoToState(Selection.MouseLeftUpStateName, true);
    }

    void OnMouseLeave(object sender, MouseEventArgs e) {
        this.GoToState(Selection.MouseLeaveStateName, true);
    }

    void OnMouseEnter(object sender, MouseEventArgs e) {
        this.GoToState(Selection.MouseEnterStateName, true);
    }
    private void GoToState(string stateName, bool useTransitions) {
        VisualStateManager.GoToState(this, stateName, useTransitions);
    }

    public static readonly DependencyProperty HeaderTextProperty =
        DependencyProperty.Register("HeaderText", typeof(string), typeof(Selection), new PropertyMetadata(""));

    public string HeaderText {
        get { return (string)GetValue(HeaderTextProperty); }
        set { SetValue(HeaderTextProperty, value); }
    }

    public static readonly DependencyProperty HeaderColorProperty =
        DependencyProperty.Register("HeaderColor", typeof(System.Windows.Media.Color), typeof(Selection), new PropertyMetadata(System.Windows.Media.Colors.Red));

    public  System.Windows.Media.Color HeaderColor {
        get { return (System.Windows.Media.Color)GetValue(HeaderColorProperty); }
        set { SetValue(HeaderColorProperty, value); }
    }
}}

Answer 1

I have had mixed results using TemplateBinding on custom dependency properties. Because of this, I have used RelativeSource TemplatedParent which seems to work in every situation.

<EasingColorKeyFrame KeyTime="0:0:.5" Value="{Binding HeaderColor, RelativeSource={RelativeSource TemplatedParent}}" />